The Scales That Bind
by Danowsawa
Summary: Having kept their relationship hidden, Mipha is bound and determined to complete her duty to her beloved, Link, by creating his armor from her own scales, presenting it to him on her birthday. However, just before she's able to do so, the whole of Zora's Domain realizes that this Hylian might have brought something along far more sinister than good tidings.
1. Into a Far Foreign Land

Link flipped through what remained of a tattered notebook as he walked alongside the austere wagon that rolled alongside him, two soldiers sitting at its fore, chattering amongst themselves as they guided the horses along the winding pathway of Zorana, oftentimes not even having a road to guide them. Link stopped at one of the small pages as he looked up to notice Zora's Domain in the distance, hurriedly sliding the book into his pocket as he looked over his shoulder, making sure nobody happened to be following them.

"Pretty uneventful, eh, sir?" one of the riders asked, leaning down toward Link, who's eyes turned upward to him.

He nodded, "Can't complain."

The rider gave a jovial laugh as he swung his body back up into his seat, jabbing his co-pilot with an elbow and leaning toward him, speaking quietly, "Heh heh, he talks to _me_ , Jarrol! I'd say he knows who's truly leading this expedition into Zorana!"

He gave a playfully snickering laugh as he reoriented himself, gaily leaning his head back and forth, proudly showing off his pride at actually being addressed by the 'soldier without words'. His counterpart, Jarrol, merely remained fixated on the invoice, his eyes never ceasing their scrutiny of the thick parchment, even during one of his cousin's lively jabs at his status as ' _co_ -pilot'.

Jarrol did eventually speak up, drolly, "Or he just understands who the King tasked with this run."

"Bah!" his cousin, Lall, exclaimed, forgetting their bodyguard was barely a few feet away, "Who _wouldn't_ want a word with the premiere shipping captain of Hyrule? Look- Look at me!"

He leaned toward Jarrol, turning his face up and touching his chin, "If this doesn't look like the face of one who gives good audience, why, I wouldn't know what this world is coming to!"

Jarrol cracked an uncharacteristic, sneering grin, "Reminds me of a face that's only good for receiving a swift kick, cousin."

Lall scoffed, rolling his eyes as he returned to his seat, "Ev'ryone's a critic. I'll tell you, I've got a wife at home, and I assure you, it wasn't due to my swift feet that caught her heart. She saw me from across that bar, and boom, she'd been caught, with nothing more for me to do than reel her in."

" _Or_ ," Jarrol shrugged, dropping his hands into his lap as he shot his cousin a wry stare, "Perhaps she was merely wondering what an old brute such as yourself was doing in a bar frequented by young people."

Lall eyed him back with a critiquing sort of stare, holding onto an expression of anger before cracking a grin and laughing, throwing his body backward over the back-end of their seat, a boisterously jovial chortle breaking into the atmosphere as his body shook happily. He finally reached an arm around his cousin, pulling him close and offering an approving pat on his arm.

"You're too much sometimes, cousin!" he nearly shouted, "It's that sort of humor that compelled me to bring you on as my second!"

Knowing he'd only cracked but three jokes in the time he'd even been with his cousin, as he'd counted, Jarrol unenthusiastically leaned away, trying to escape Lall's grasp, "Good thing I'm good at book-keeping too. You still don't realize how dangerously close you were riding that line that crosses into bankruptcy, do you?"

"Bah, life's too short, Jarrol. You let those things work their way out- otherwise, you merely waste-"

Jarrol sighed, "If by 'work their way out' you mean your poor sister came running to my side in order to procure my services, then yes, things seemed to have worked their way out. Not even considering that I turned down quite a lucrative position within the Court simply on the words of that poor girl you insist on worrying with your spending."

"You worry, you worry!" Lall replied, turning the other way and hunching off the side of his wagon as he gave Link a hopeful stare, "A soldier such as yourself should know a little something about that!"

Link remained peering ahead, his eyes nearly fixated on the city before them that stood above the waterfalls. Lall frowned, returning to his seat, only to notice his cousin's grin as Jarrol eyed the invoice once more, "I'm sure 'audience' means something different to you as well, correct?"

Lall mumbled something to himself as the wagon swung around onto a bridge that crossed the river, taking them to the opposing bank, which also forced Link to hasten his steps so that he stood beside the horses instead of the wagon, making himself seen to any Zora that might be on patrol down here. Never had he accompanied a wagon down these parts without being severely checked by some young Zora soldier. Jarrol failed to notice their passing into heavily Zora territory, but Lall leaned forward, his head raised up to gaze upon the serenely curved cliffs surrounding them, as if thinking they'd rain down soldiers upon them.

Link could sense the horse beside him growing anxious, so he reached up to pet its side in an attempt at calming it, though before he could bring his arm back to his side, he lifted it up into the sky, signaling Lall to halt his advance, which he did. Jarrol looked up from his scroll as well, scanning the area to find nothing out of the sort. He turned to his cousin, unsurely, speaking normally.

"Why the stop?"

Lall shrugged, "I was instructed to direct my horses off a cliff were I told to do so by this man. If he say stop, I stop."

His eyes trailed down the river, narrowing suspiciously as he spoke up, quietly, "Although, if you've ever encountered a Zora… They tend to make a habit of hiding in plain sight…"

Jarrol nearly felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he leaned forward, examining the area with increased caution, though still finding nothing. As the two men turned around to examine the path they'd come from, they both hopped up in shock, hearing the wind now behind them whipping as something moved fast enough to break through the atmosphere. They returned to find a Zora crouched on the ground, its hands placed atop the ground before it slowly slithered upward in a delicate stance, its helmet rising up to reveal a sleekly blue body.

"I hope you don't take offense," the Zora spoke in a masculine voice, "I'm kind of hoping you three don't have papers."

Link eyed the soldier with darkened eye, though his glare broke as he reached a hand up toward the two others, silently, simply keeping his fingers open in retrieval. Still a bit shaken, the two only looked at his hand with confusion, though soon enough, Lall composed himself, grasping the sheet of paper out of Jarrol's lap and handing it to Link, who accepted it quite readily before approaching the Zora.

"Damn," the Zora groaned through a devious grin, "I was hoping to finally have a reason to draw a sword before the great knight of Hyrule. I suppose that will come another time, though."

Link allowed a wry sort of smile escape him as the Zora, Zevan, waved him off, "Oh, nonsense; I know who you are. I've often wondered if your King sends you along on these supply runs simply on the off-chance your men are less than competent and lose their papers."

"Hey!" Lall shouted, raising a defiant fist into the air, "I take offense to that!"

Zevan smirked, leaning closer toward Link, "You've got a lively one today."

"That implies the ability to derive pleasure from such a person," Link frowned, "I'd say 'loud mouth' more than anything…"

"Hmm hmm," Zevan laughed behind closed lips, leaning to the side to glimpse the entirety of the wagon, now speaking absently, "No wonder you prefer the company of us Zora. You know, our princess' birthday celebration is just in a few days, and Trello has already proclaimed it to be the biggest and brightest-"

Link interrupted him, nearly stingingly, "I'm only here on business."

Zevan watched him skeptically, though quickly shrugged with indifference, "I understand. My apologies; I'm often inundated with many Hylians roaming these parts merely to catch a glimpse of either the princess or any young lady of our people."

His eyes turned up toward the two men atop the wagon, unamused, "I forget some of you still retain _some_ sense of respect."

Link turned to find the target of Zevan's innocuous glance, "I'd be far too afraid to inspire the ire of anybody on the Royal Guard."

"Good answer," Zevan cocked a grin, stepping out of the way, "I do not wish to keep you, so make haste. I assure you, nobody will come after you."

Link gave a deep bow in thanks before returning to the wagon's side, scratching the closer horse's neck as he passed, knocking near Lall's feet to signal his permission to advance. He did so, though only with the most skeptical of glances toward Zevan as he kept his head low, already untrusting of the man. Jarrol, in kind, grabbed the second copy of the invoice and began examining it once again, trying to alleviate his nerves in this way.

"I've never trusted those things," Lall muttered, immediately shattering his cousin's attempts at calmness, "Always hiding in their mountains back here, never leaving. It's always made me think they're up to something. and they have the nerve to rouse their own King?"

Jarrol slapped his leg in frustration, turning to his cousin, "Lall, please! I've enough rattling around in my brain right now!"

Lall turned toward him, his fry face turning fluidic as he grinned, "No worries, cousin- the women are said to strike even the stoniest of men's hearts with such waters that they immediate erode in balmy iridescence!"

"I've never been more ashamed of your hipocracy than at this very moment…" Jarrol queasily groaned, leaning forward as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, "Just thinking how quickly that thing back there could have shoved a spear through me…"

Lall laughed, "My cousin! Why else would I have hired this bodyguard were it not to protect us from such slights?!"

Jarrol's eyes fell into narrow slits, his hand quickly reaching into a sturdy box and pulling out a sheet of paper, scrutinizing it quickly before murmuring, "I've gone over this list of expenses, and nowhere was there a bodyguard fee. Why didn't you tell me?!"

Nervously, Lall's hand reached behind his head, chuckling, "W-Well, because he wasn't hired. He simply volunteered, pretty quickly after I'd reported that I was making this trip, as a matter of fact."

"Ohhhnoooo," Jarrol gasped sickeningly as he keeled over once again, compressing his stomach, "A free bodyguard. You always know what to say to keep me in the throes of distress… How your sister puts up with you, cousin…"

Lall only happily jabbed his side with a boyish energy, "Come now, Jarrol, just think of how rare it is for us Hylians to even be this deep into Zorana! If we play our cards right, who knows, we may be rather deep into something a tad more enjoya-!"

A tuft of his clothing immediately gathered, yanking him from his spot and clear off the wagon, only stopping as his head fell upside down, with only his midsection and legs atop the wagon. He breathed deeply as his heart raced, suddenly recognizing his bodyguard's intense stare as the world around him slowed from its dizzying haze. Link held him up with a powerful grasp at his collar, though refrained from performing what he'd have liked, which would have been dropping him completely from his vehicle.

Instead, he spoke critically, his steps remaining in-time with the horses, "Another one of those comments, and not only will you no longer have a bodyguard, but you'll have to be quick to replace him, considering what I'd be aiming to do to you."

Lall bit his bottom lip frighteningly, just managing a quick nod from his unusual position before Link threw him back up onto the wagon, leaving the wagon's pilot to remain disheveled as he tried to collect himself, the entire experience having been severely disorienting to his nerves. Jarrol, on the other hand, found relief as he gave a gentle chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.

"'Audience' definitely means something different to you, brother," he opined, gleefully.


	2. Give & Take

As the wagon wheeled along the magnificent bridge that crossed atop the mighty waterfalls of Zorana, Lall made sure to keep his head down and his eyes up, still skeptical of this place and its people. He turned to his cousin, whose body was shivering worriedly as he pushed himself tight against the back of his seat, eyes wide open, clutching the one invoice they had left to his chest as though he were deathly afraid. Lall's lips curled up humorously as he peered over the edge of the bridge, shaking his head with bemusement.

"You're never supposed to look down!" Lall grinned.

Jarrol turned his head toward him slowly, one wrong move sure to send him to his demise, "E-Easy for you to say, c-cousin! You kn-know I'm not one for adven-ture!"

"What adventure?" Lall shook his head dismissively, "We're just going from point A to B, on business no less. Rather boring if you ask me."

Having never left his small village along the plains of Hyrule, nor his job as a apothecary, Jarrol was nonetheless shaken by the foreign feeling of being high above seemingly bottomless pits of roaring waters, his cousins assurances doing little to calm him. He'd always been far more comfortable at a desk than out in the wilderness, where there were troubles that elixirs could not mend.

"Still," Lall grimly muttered, "I'd keep an eye out."

He checked his bodyguard, making sure he wasn't about to be subjected to some malice, though Link merely continued walking, almost as if not hearing the two of them at all. Lall's lips curled downward as he leaned back into place, shaking his head as he started understanding, perhaps, this bodyguard's intentions in coming along.

"Ohhhhh…" Jarrol moaned sickly, wavering queezily as his squinted eyes peered up toward the heavens, noticing the dull sky above, "They're even content with living beneath all these mountains- they hope to steal the sun away from me as well…"

He shivered as he returned his attention to the bridge ahead of them, his eyes shooting open as a small, blue-bodied creature scampered their way, Jarrol's body instinctively falling against the back of his seat as though having been confronted with a wild boar. The Zora child's feet sent a rhythmic pitter-patter into the air as he slowed his run, his eyes widening as well at the sight of strangers. He slowed to a walk, with only his head raising to follow the eyes of the human watching _him_ , the Zora's mouth gaping open in awe of the sight, despite the Hylian's perceived fright.

In a split second, the Zora child grinned before raising his arms and ejecting a childishly loud, "Rawr!"

"AH!" Jarrol shouted, jumping back against his cousin, who only burst into laughter at the sight.

The child snickered before breaking into a run once again, skittering along the bridge back toward the mainland where the wagon had previously come from, Jarrol sliding back into his seat as he clutched his chest, breathing deeply, "Was it your sister's intention to have me killed?!"

Lall chuckled heartily, "One can't know such things, dear cousin. Please, though; if you might embarrass us once we arrive, cover yourself with a shawl or something- we're more or less representing Hylia itself with how little these people interact outside their borders. If they think we all scare as easily as you, who knows what might come of it."

"Oh, yeah," Jarrol nodded sarcastically, wrapping himself in the shawl beside him anyway, "The creatures who live hidden from the sun most certainly want our lands. You know how much of my business comes from shipping out that jelly Zora's use to cover themselves with? I have no financial reason to want people ill, that's for sure."

Lall threw his head over his shoulder, examining their wagon-load of supplies, "You didn't happen to bring any with us, did you?"

"One or two cartons," Jarrol explained, "I figured I might could sell some while we were here. Why?"

Lall chuckled, "Just on the off chance we're bartering for our lives, it'd be nice to have stock of something they'd want."

Jarrol buried his face beneath the shawl so as to hide his expression, though Lall smirked at what he could still see of his cousin's shaking head, "You're the worst, cousin…"

Turning to his bodyguard, Lall spoke up, "It's all in fun, good sir, I assure you."

Link did little more than nod.

"Well, we're coming up on the main landing of Zora's Domain," Lall explained, reaching down for the invoice that remained desperately clutched within his cousin's hand, "You said you'd done this before?"

"Yes," Link answered, distantly, "They know me well here."

Lall nodded, "Alright, I'll hold you to that, then. I apologize if I'm unfamiliar with their customs."

Link turned a blank face up toward him, "Just don't stare too long and you'll do just fine. They aren't able to wear much clothing because of their skin, so they're wary of outsiders doing such things."

"I didn't- Ah, that explains earlier," Lall confirmed, stroking his light beard.

Link's face remained unchanged, "They'd do much worse than me."

As he finished, Link's gait increased as he approached the guards who'd already been alerted to their guest's appearance. Lall smoothed out the invoice before yanking at his horse's reins, slowing them to a stop as Link and the guard approached him, Lall catching only the latter part of their conversation.

"-and I can leave them in your care?" Link finished.

The Zoran guard nodded, though Lall spoke up, "H-Hey! I thought I hired you to-"

"You didn't hire me," Link muttered, interrupting him, before turning to leave further into the Domain, "Tovar here will ensure your safety."

Lall went slightly pale at the mention of the tall Zoran guard who nodded at being mentioned, "Okay, well- Here's the invoice. The King wanted to make sure you were all well considered when it came to this last harvest- such a major surplus that hadn't been seen in years, apparently."

Tovar nodded as he ran his eyes down the list, "Alright. and what's that contraption beside you?"

Lall turned to find his cousin, still hidden, shaking up a storm as he sat there.

"It looks like it's about to explode or something…" Tovar muttered suspiciously, leaving Lall to frown unhappily.

He reached an arm around his cousin's shoulders and pulled him against him, "Not at all- this is Jarrol, my cousin! He's just, uh… Well, he's considerately placed himself beneath this fabric here, it seems."

"Uh huh," Tovar nodded slowly, "You won't take offence if I should keep an eye on you, correct?"

"Not at all!" Lall exclaimed, "Your home, your rules."

Tovar gave a final nod before turning back, waving the wagon along as Lall slapped at his horses, signaling them to move along, hearing Tovar's voice above the clopping of hooves atop the pristine platform they trailed upon, "Good to see you've arrived in due time. My liege has prepared a return shipment of the finest sea life for you to return with- I'd hate for it to go bad on your way back."

"O-Oh," Lall replied, unsurely, "Not- Not at all; I'd hate for that as well…"

* * *

Atop one of the Domain's sleekly ascendant pathways, two crimson legs dangled above the rest of this place, gently rocking back and forth, both pairs of toes daintily pulling in and out in a rhythmic sort of pattern, in time with the gently high humming from above where Lady Mipha's head swayed, side to side, her eyes listlessly staring down at the book in her hands. She had a pencil cupped between the book and her hand, mulling around words in her mind as she hummed musically to herself, recalling a tune her mother would often sing when she'd been taken to the peaks of Zorana to bathe in the sun, an activity that would often render her sleepily lazy as she curled up atop one of the rocks she'd decided to warm herself in. Her mother would stay by her side, keeping watch, and lulling her child through endless dreams.

Mipha would often hum this tune at times of distress or depression, often using it as a means to calm herself, quelling much anything that found her heart in need of comfort or assurance. In this case, her birthday was barely days away, yet there were two people absent from the festivities that would soon take hold of the Domain. It might not have been her first birthday without her mother, yet it still tugged on her heart whenever any big event would take place- her mother was often the fairest and most grand of all the Zora, and her absence was sorely noticed by all, particularly her family.

She pulled her pencil to the page, her lips pulling to one side in bitterness as she finished her thought, "…at least my dearest brother hasn't known this sorrow."

Sighing gently, she closed her diary, putting it off to one side as she reached her arms behind her, reclining slightly as she stared up toward Polymus Mountain, thinking of her younger days that seemed so far away now. Inevitably, those memories would nearly always include the other person whose absence she greatly missed- that of the warrior boy, Link, she'd first admired as a child and had grown to love as he'd grown older.

Her lips curled upward in a gently mischievous grin as she recalled the days before that first arrival of his where she'd fallen in love with him. She was presumed to be wedded to a rather prestigious Zora, and although she hadn't many qualms about this arrangement, she recalled the rationale that tortured her in those days before she saw that Hylian again.

"If he's taller than me this time…" she mused to herself, laughing as light as a Princess might be expected to sound in politeness, "…only then will I allow my heart to be his."

Of course, as soon as she'd found out about this particular development, she hastily, yet delicately, removed herself from her original suitor; though, to be in love with a Hylian, while not principle frowned upon, it was all but unheard of when it came to Zoran royalty. The two would go on to be perceived as good, strong friends, yet behind the scenes, the two had grown far closer.

It was due to this that Mipha's heart fell this day, nearing her birthday without her dear knight. That grin from earlier dissolved, following her eyes' lead as her brow furrowed in sadness, thinking of Link with a wistful heart.

She turned to reach for her diary, her heart nearly pouring sadly from within her, though her hand was met with nothing but the metallic sheen of the Domain's staging, her head slightly turning to allow her eyes a chance to find her book, though in a split second, they jumped up toward the man standing nearby, leaning against one of the platform's spires with his hands in his pockets, a knowing smile shown beneath his golden hair.

"I wouldn't let _your_ height dictate my love for you," Link spoke, shrugging boyishly, referring to the gentle words that had managed to leave Mipha's lips just moments earlier.

Her eyes broke open with a blinding speed as she hopped onto her feet, leaping across the platform to eliminate their distance, the two of them embracing the other tightly, with Mipha's adoration breaking free of her throat, "Link! You made it!"

"Of course I did," he smiled, running his arm up and down her sleek back, "I just needed a reason to get away from my King's direction- he's been pretty strict about getting everybody ready and willing after that Akkalan thing. I caught wind of a shipment coming this way, so I made myself its bodyguard, and here I am, right on time."

Mipha's head pulled away, though their arms remained wrapped around one another, "A shipment? Will you be here for three days?"

Shrugging, Link answered, "I'll come up with something to stall for time. They don't seem like two guys who'll shy away from a festival, so maybe they'll just hang around. I'll give your father my word of their trustworthiness."

Content with his explanation, Mipha rushed to bury her face into the crick of his shoulder once again, too hasty to catch her head brushing against Link's neck, causing his body to shiver as his knees dipped, his head falling against her as he spoke up through a ticklish gasp of chuckles, "Ah, cold as always."

Shocked, Mipha pulled away, though Link's arms prevented her from doing so, her face quickly opening in fright, "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"It's fine, it's fine," Link assured, pulling her closer, "I was just surprised, is all. It hasn't stopped us from holding one another before, has it?"

Mipha frowned, "Someone might think you'd get smart and find somebody who conflicts less with your biology."

Link's head fell closer to her's, their eyes meeting as he spoke, "You have a heart, just like me. That's all I need to know. That, and I know you can handle polearms better than anybody in this world; I know you can protect yourself. What makes you think I would have continued coming here if not for-"

As he spoke, Mipha's face had slowly turned and pressed itself against his chest, her grip around him tightening at his attempts at flattery. Link paused and merely held her, silently, continuing to rub her back with his arm, his thumb zig-zagging along her side as it went. A gently hum escaped Mipha as she remained that way, Link's warmth fully encompassing her in this way, her body readily accepting his offer.

"I love your warmth…" she murmured almost sleepily, "I missed it so much."

Link could only smile, "I kind of missed sharing it, to be honest."

Her eyes opened into narrow slits, peering off into the distance as she now pressed her cheek into his chest, "It's not as warm as the sun, but…it's different. Something you can't get from any Zora."

With nothing in the way of a reply to such a statement, all Link could offer was a quick kiss atop her sleek head, simply allowing her to take from him the warmth he was all too ready to share with her. It was something in the way of the physical that the two could partake in, and as such, it was something they both, especially Mipha, enjoyed.

* * *

 ** _A/N: This should be the first chapter that lets you know, somewhat, just how much I've rattled my brain trying to figure out some plausible Zora physiology xD_**

 ** _They look like fish, they lay eggs, but they also seem to have something resembling mammary glands, and they have different types of teeth (Sidon has fangs), which are both mammalian traits. For the sake of this story, I decided to make them cold-blooded, since Mipha would have little reason to have a physical attraction to Link if she lays eggs, and therefore, cannot procreate in the same way I'd assume Hylians would._**

 ** _One of the reason I started writing fan-fiction was to explore ideas like this in the first place, so I'm very much in my wheelhouse with this, even if it's very mind-bending when game developers (very, very understandably) don't waste time explaining this stuff._**


	3. The Brigade

Link found himself sitting in Mipha's chambers, pulling random things off of a nearby dresser and examining them, most all of them being trinkets she'd collected while off coursing through any number of Hyrule's countless rivers or streams. Therefore, many of these tiny objects had nothing resembling any other, making it a hodgepodge of lost items now sitting atop the Zora Princesses' cabinet. Link rolled the small, metallic object around in his hands, trying to figure out its origin despite its eroded facings.

"Third from the left," he spoke, lifting it above him to examine it with the gleam of sunlight facing it.

Mipha's voice came from the other side of the thin fabric, "Hmm… I believe it was along one of the canals beneath Death Mountain. I figured it was some Goron contraption that had rolled down the whole of the mountain."

Link nodded to himself, returning it carefully to the cabinet top, "I was actually up there on assignment since last we saw each other. Apparently some bandits had been roaming around; turns out they were a Goron gang, so the twelve of us were immensely underprepared."

He heard a giggle from Mipha at the sound of his pithy voice, a grin of his own spreading across Link's face as he went on, "Our after-action report so politely explained the whole thing as us merely advancing along the opposite side of the mountain than intended. Just one of those things, I suppose."

"I thought you had the blood of a Goron-fighter in you," Mipha wondered aloud, a smarmy sort of air coating her voice.

Link gave a distant smile, "For all I know, that's about as legendary as the memory of my father, himself, by now."

A silence followed, slowly leading toward a gentle reply from Mipha, "Sorry…"

"Why?" Link chuckled, shrugging, "I've gotten this far without my parents' instruction; I've no reason to-"

"Gah…" shot a quiet, feminine voice, the sound trailing off into a shakingly painful sort of timbre.

Link turned his head toward the drapery that had been pulled through the middle of the room, his face waxing into sadness as he tried to get a better few of the dark silhouette of Mipha, sitting on the other side of the drawn curtain. He could see he hunched over, though that was about it, until he noticed her suddenly flinching, another pained gasp escaping her strained lips.

"I already told you, you don't have to do that," Link muttered heartfully, his voice quiet as he tried at comfort.

A pause, before Mipha replied, her voice still shaking just slightly, "Nonsense. It's a tradition that must be performed if I'm ever to be yours."

Link crossed his arms, "Can't we just skip to some of the less painful ones? I hate seeing you like this.?

"Well that's why I put the curtain up," Mipha replied, lightly, with a teasing tone.

Frowning, Link turned toward her, "You know what I mean. The only reason it took me so long to call upon you was because I knew the life I lead; the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you in any way."

"I may squirm and cringe, but this is far from painful," Mipha confirmed, another scale of hers pulled away by her hand with a gentle _pop_ , "I could make this an easy process. I could collect the scales I've shed so measly along the ground. I could make the man I love armor that's just as fickle and easy to pierce. But I want you adorned with armor as strong as my love for you. For that, I could bear any pain."

Link frowned, again with nothing to reciprocate after Mipha had put her feelings into so many words. He simply pulled his hands together in his lap, sighing aloud as he picked at his nails as if subconsciously emulating his lover.

"One would think you'd understand after I've told you so many times," Mipha grinned.

Sighing with dismay, Link simply leaned back into his chair, "at least you won't have to repeat yourself after your birthday."

"Nope," Mipha replied happily, "It'll be completed by then. Then my father and everybody will be able to understand that my love for you isn't merely some phase of mine."

She stood up behind the curtain, earning Link's attention as her darkened arms danced around her body as she prepared to present herself, finally pulling back the drapery to reveal her crimson self, an ornate cloak running along her side, snapped in place over her shoulder and around her waist, hiding her newly exposed skin.

"This is quite uncomfortable though," she complained, pulling at the fabric, "Even _I'll_ be somewhat happy when this is over and we won't have to hide ourselves. I'd be too proud to have one of the best knights of Hyrule at my side to- Well, maybe not to protect me, but keep me warm, certainly."

Her face trembled worriedly, a finger working its way up to her face and running along her lower jaw line, "You're still okay with, uh… you know…"

"With having a lady who wields a trident with the tenacity of a trapped warrior?" Link asked, matter-of-factly, "Mipha, if you weren't so self-sufficient and able to protect yourself, I don't know if I'd have fallen for you in the first place."

His fist clenched tightly, his head turning away with an distant air, as though staring back in time, "I've had enough people in my life unable to do the same thing."

Without any notice, Mipha's feet silently patted to Link's side, wrapping her arms around his head and pulling him close against her chest, quietly reassuring him with the same tune she'd learned from her mother for such an occasion, humming lovingly as her head fell, resting her cheek against the rear side of his scalp.

"Plus," Link continued, a plainness in his voice, "It's truly rather fetching to be with a lady of such august reputation who can also beat me in a duel."

She leaned against him, playfully jabbing at his leg with her knee, "Maybe I'll let you win a few sometime."

"How about we try that out, right now," Link grinned, "See how true to your word you truly are, my Princess. If I recall, the whole of the Domain turns out for our matches."

Mipha's eyes clenched challengingly, pulling away and raising a hand, "If I didn't make it look so good, I assure you, there'd be far less of a crowd."

She grinned, mirroring much the same from Link, who stood and offered his hand, "In that case, to prove my own worth, may I have this bout?"

Mipha giggled childishly, taking his hand as she arose her voice with a haughty tone, "You may, knight. My extremities remain off-limits; none of those cheap swings at my billowing dorsal fin."

"And take more from you than your scales?" Link asked rhetorically, pulling her in for a quick kiss, before the two would leave this room, leaving them merely 'friends', "I wouldn't dare."

* * *

Jarrol smiled a weak, yet sincere, smile as he crouched down before the wagon, watching a handful of Zora children taking turns trying to pry open a box of his that he'd just finished using as the turn of a cheap magic trick, wherein he'd taken a token from his pocket and locked it away in that box, leaving it to the children to decipher its hidden solution of revealing its contents. Knowing such a thing would never occur, Jarrol fiddled with another token within his pocket, waiting for the proper time to stun the audience.

Behind him, Lall groaned mightily as he worked the cargo from the back of the wagon, shooting evil glances toward his cousin, whose only words were, "Perhaps it's not so bad here, cousin."

Lall rolled his eyes as he huffed in a large breath, the hulking box in his arms nearly sending him to the ground as he followed a Zora guard to the storehouse. Jarrol remained behind, amused by the different tactics of the children; some would try forcing it open, other's examined its nooks and crannies for a hidden compartment or something.

Suddenly, the hand of one of the children shot past the others, grasping the box and yanking it up into the air, the child's eyes shrinking curiously as they peered up at the foreign object. Jarrol's smile waned into a blank look at the sight, which seemed to pacify the other children as the newest one chewed his bottom lip in thought.

"C'mon, Rivan, don't ruin this too…" came one of the girl's voices, her body sagging in disappointment at this boy's arrival.

Jarrol, seemingly perturbed, simply offering, "Oh, it's quite alright; I have quite a few more in my-"

"Halt!" came the rousing voice of Rivan, who pointed a finger at Jarrol, an odd sight indeed, given his age, "I demand to know what secrets lie within this-!"

"It was just a coin," another of the children interrupted, drolly, their shoulders slumped over.

Jarrol nervously went on, "Y-Yes, I didn't mean any harm or anything; these children were just staring and I figured I'd offer something more fun to look at. See?"

He pulled out a chain-link from his pocket, resulting in a intensely dramatic drawback from Rivan, throwing his arms to the sides as if to protect his peers, all of whom were disinterested by the boy's show, even by his proud voice, "Heyheyhey! You don't want me summoning my Zoran strength do you?! Unhand your weapon!"

"W-Weapon?!" Jarrol suddenly stammered with wide-eyes, unable to notice the other children's utter disinterest in the newcomer, "I-I-I-"

"Rivan!" came another voice from behind the cluster of children, accompanied by the rapid sucking of child Zora feet atop the metaling platforms of the Domain.

One of the children exclaimed loudly, "Ugh, and here's the other one…"

Lost in his chiding, Jarrol was far too frightened to understand anything outside of anything he perceived, now, as somehow threatening to himself and his cousin, made even more so by the fierce-faced Zora child that jumped to Rivan's side, brandishing a long, craggy rock in his hand resembling a sword.

"Rivan!" he shouted, heartily, with still a flair for the dramatic, "What ails you?!"

Rivan gave a spirited response, "This Hylian dares to-! Hey, where're you guys going?"

Other than the two boys, the crowd dispersed, leaving only one of them to reply, "This isn't funny anymore; we're leaving."

Peering worriedly toward his peers, Rivan suddenly turned to the newest of them, a pleading look in his eye, "Bazz! What do we do now?!"

Bazz sighed, dropping his arm to his side, "Just give the guy his box back, I guess; I dunno. We're trying to protect them; you'd think they'd be a bit more appreciative of our work. I mean, look at this guy."

Jarrol fell backward, now sitting as his knees gave way, only staring with confusion at the two boys who seemed to be of greater authority, already, than Jarrol could ever attain.

" _Probably_ because you two knuckleheads are constantly seeking out problems to solve," came the voice of yet another child, though Jarrol's eyes widened in surprise, both from having never seen a pale, violet-scaled Zora before, but also do to their ability to, seemingly, halt his being extorted.

Rivan frowned, "I'll have you know, Gadd, 'prevention over reaction'; my father's words still ring true!"

"Your father also hasn't taken a sword since the Gerudo wore snow shoes!" Gadd shouted back, seemingly forcing the other child into silence, before she threw out an open hand toward him, "Well?"

Riven's lips curled in thought, his hand still wrapped around the box, his eyes turning toward Bazz, "…well?"

"Just give it to her."

"But- But _you're_ the boss!" Rivan whined.

Bazz shrugged, "A good boss knows what battles they can win, and which they can't. I'm not about to have Gaddison send me off the wrong side of the mountains."

Riven eyed Gadd, whose impatient stare unnerved him to the point where he simply held out the small box for her to take, "I'll have you know, I can still kick your butt at the Luto Gauntlet."

Gadd rolled her eyes before walking up to Jarrol and offering him the box back, "I must apologize for these two."

"Oh, it- it's quite alright," Jarrol replied, trying to be sincere, though it was mostly betrayed by his shaking as he accepted the hollow case back.

The violet-scaled Zora sighed, "I'm afraid it's not- I'm still sort of stuck with these two bozos."

"Hey!" Rivan shouted aloud, "The Big Bad Bazz Brigade is _NOT_ full of bozos! I'll also have _you_ know, Hylian, that, were it not for _US_ , our Domain would have had its moorings scratched up from rocks and debris coming from the mountains! Bazz, here, clocked in a solid twenty minutes one day!"

"Soooo important," Gadd groaned, rubbing her face with a stiffened hand as she turned to leave, having returned to Jarrol what he'd lost.

Rivan grumbled before dashing off after her, leaving Bazz behind to watch as Jarrol made it to his feet, the Zora's head rising as he did so. Jarrol wiped away at his pants, still not letting his guard down, until Bazz crossed his arms, staring off into the distance.

"A boss also knows when his man is in the wrong," he muttered, painfully, "I do apologize for Rivan's brashness. He's a good brigade-man, but he can be impulsive at times."

Jarrol scratched the back of his head, "Oh, it's just f-fine. No harm done, I assure you."

Bazz nodded before turning away and scampering off himself, Jarrol now left to his own devices as he ran a hand along his stomach, suddenly feeling queasy from the rushing of various emotions. He stepped back against the wagon, leaning against its side as he nearly doubled over, clutching his midsection as Lall appeared from the storeroom, watching his cousin, confused, before kneeling at his side to check on him.

"Oh, come now, cousin; it's not that bad, is it?!"

Jarrol cringed, "Maybe it is…"

"That was the last of it anyway," Lall shrugged, "Sit tight as I get the fish and we'll be on out way out of-"

He paused, frowning as his cousin relieved his stomach onto the dark platform below, leaving Lall only slightly concerned, "Cousin, people are staring…"


	4. Darkness Descends Upon the Domain

Link escorted Mipha up toward one of the main platforms of the domain, their feet sending water flying past them as a tiny current flowed past them, a feeling that often evoked feelings of melancholy in many Zoras, these "water ramps" often becoming the first fascination for many of the young ones. For Hylians, however, it was more a nuisance, much the same for Link, who stared at his soaked boots with a frown.

"You play dirty," he opined, sending a stare toward Mipha.

She replied, feigning innocence, "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Link smirked, shaking his head, "I suppose its unwarranted to expect a Princess to try something so underhanded as to ruin an opponent's traction during a match."

Mipha shrugged, smiling sweetly, "I suppose it would be, yes."

She giggled behind a closed mouth, bringing her free hand up to cover her face politely, keeping her trident close to her backside with the other. Mipha would take on a far different air whenever in the presence of her most favorite weapon, one of a graceful sort of superiority, which was a trademark of many Zoran warriors. She would bring her hand to her back, holding her trident upside-down in that way to keep the three-pronged end high in the sky, forcing her steps to adjust to a far more graceful sort of side-stepping as she went along. This was the traditional, many said archaic, form the Zoras adopted generations ago: not only did it exaggerate their height, helping them appear more fierce or dangerous, it also strode the line between aggressiveness and passivity in the elegant Zoran way. In holding a weapon, they seemed a threat, yet in keeping their body firmly in front of its shape, they also demonstrated a confident aura of deterrence with no outright showing of violent intent.

The two of them approached their destination, though any sort of expectance they felt was quickly swayed by the sight of a large assortment of jars being carried by a collection of Zoras toward the wagon Link had guided here, Lall hastily directing the operation as he scooting back and forth along its side.

Mipha frowned, "Would it be too outrageous to think that they're a different party from whomever you rode in with?"

"As much as I wish there were other Hylians here to mistake you in some way…" Link sighed, "Don't worry; one of them is quite of the fearful sort, so I'm guessing they'll travel wherever my sword does."

He leaned closer, now that the two were in sight of others, a whisper escaping his still face, "I can at least have us stay the night; guarantee you one night at my side, my Princess."

Mipha's twin set of fins at either side of head shook as her lips squeezed inward, both actions an unwilling display of her nerves at such a proposition. Despite her wielding quite a mighty trident in her hand, in her flustered state, she appeared more subdued than anything she was supposed to be evoking before a duel.

"Such false innocence, "Link mused grinning, "With such things, what does night have to do with sleep?"

Her fingers tightening around her trident, Mipha frowned toward her companion, "Now _you're_ the one playing dirty. In front of a Princess, no less."

"You started it," Link assured, turning back toward the main landing of the Domain, hiding his grin as he did so.

In return, Mipha snuck a particularly longing stare up toward him, taking the time to examine his profile as she smiled sweetly, turning to follow his direction as she went on, "There shouldn't be too much in the way of an audience. Father has commissioned our best excavators, divers, and prize seekers to scour the land in preparation for the festival."

Link questioned, "Huh, I never took him for one to be so celebratory."

"He isn't," Mipha confirmed, "I honestly think its his way of making up for my mother's passing; maybe having such a rousing festival is some way to fill a void. In any case, this place should be far less empty in a few days."

"Well I came as a bodyguard free of charge, so I'm sure I already appear to be quite incompetent with the sword in those men's eyes. At least I can reveal something of- What?" he asked suddenly, turning to meet Mipha's intensely critical stare.

"You're spending all this time out here for no compensation?!" she questioned, "I must request a hand in my father's coffers; you've made it clear already how squalid your Knight's Quarters are!"

Instead of interrupting, Link couldn't help but grin at her concern, though this only forced her to grow silent, upset with his simple reply, leaving him to explain, "That last one is by choice; and besides, how could I ever put a price on seeing my red-finned Lady? I needed any reason to be here for your birthday, and I made sure it happened. "

Mipha frowned, "You know, you're only making me want to beat you even more now…"

Link replied with a light air as he allowed a slight smile, "Let's defeat whatever evils _that_ Princess seems to believe are to arise, and then ensure we have nothing but the years ahead of us before we challenge one another like that."

"What of Princess Zelda, anyway?" Mipha wondered aloud.

Sighing, Link managed a shrug, "I am to guide her around Hyrule, while she looks deeper into these Sheikah mechanisms, and while she meditates upon her lack of magical abilities that are supposed to come to any woman of her line. I have little doubt she'll waste little time berating me every step of the way- I'm simply interested in performing my duty."

Mipha lowered her head sadly, "She only wants to be able to converse with you. I'm sure there's a certain jealousy in a Knight whose power found him, rather than a power he needed to seek out."

She eyed his sword, which elicited a shrug from Link, his voice frigid as the waters below, "I'm a Knight. I'm not concerned with knowing her, soothing her insecurities; the King gave me a task, and I'm to perform it. My mother taught me too well how to be a Knight, and regardless of anything the sword has done to choose me, I have no doubt it wasn't because I was terrible at my craft."

"You're so quiet to everyone though…" Mipha shuddered, "It only makes me wonder how fragile our-"

Cutting her off immediately to quell any doubt in her mind, Link came to an abrupt halt, turning toward Mipha and clutching her hand, tightly, "I know you won't die. I wouldn't dare make the mistake of having somebody in my life who could so easily be taken away. not again."

Mipha's eyes lowered sadly, having unwittingly brought up a topic she'd only tip-toed around in the past, her hand falling back to her side as Link let her go, now realizing how intimate such a thing seemed in public. He rubbed his arm as he looked away, distantly so.

"Your mother…" Mipha muttered quietly.

Link shook his head, "We were to duel, correct? If not, I would like to at least be in your presence at one of the lakes nearby. Let's not allow my history to ruin this."

Mipha sighed as her lips curled with dissatisfaction, slowly following along as Link went on ahead, her heart pained by her lover's words. She wanted nothing more than to ease his heart the same way she was able to ease his physical suffering, though she had to come to realize that her healing magic was only shallow.

She recalled one of their first visits with one another, before they'd had one another, sitting atop the mighty Divine Beast that rested atop her home. He'd been scraped up, and as Mipha healed his arm, she had lost herself in a moment of breathlessness at the warm touch of his skin, pledging herself to be at his aid, forever.

Now, it only tortured all the more knowing he had wounds she couldn't ever hope to relieve him of.

Her attention wavered, she suddenly returned to reality as Link's head shot to the side, staring off down the lengthy bridge to the mainland, Mipha's eyes following his as she noticed two soldiers rushing down the viaduct, a third soldier slumped over one of their shoulders. Link's body shot around toward Mipha, a concerned look on his face as she tossed her trident in his direction, his hand skillfully retrieving it as she took off in a dash to meet the squad at the end of the expanse.

"Lady Mipha!" cried out the second, unhindered by the injured body, "Lady Mipha!"

With the swiftness of an upstream bound trout, Mipha surged along the platform, dashing up and over railings to cut her path short, sliding to a stop as the Zoran soldier knelt down, allowing the body of Zevan to slide off from his shoulder. Mipha was quick to the ground, hovering atop him, immediately noticing the sickly purple hole that sat between his chest and shoulder, oozing out water and blood at an alarming rate.

Mipha whipped her arms around in the air to ready herself, her body remaining perfectly still as she did so, staring seriously at the wound as the soldier stood back, gasping for air, "We found him like this, trying to crawl back to his post. Niri nearly had to pry him away, he was so determined to return."

Tovar ran up with a face curled with potent anger at the sight of a comrade in such a state. He quickly shouted to another soldier to send a squad in place of Zevan before approaching the fallen Zora, whose shallow breaths sounded as empty as a hollow vase. His gills shivered mightily as he desperately attempted to take in air, though it only left as quickly as it entered him.

Mipha's hand hovered above the wound, her eyes closed in concentration. Her hand began to glow a gentle gold, but quickly enough, it shimmered with a silvery hue as Mipha focused herself, trying as hard as she could to rip out from within her whatever magisterial powers she had there.

Link finally arrived, his eyes instinctively turning to the wagon of his clients, Lall and Jarrol both watching from afar, rather fearful of the sight before them. Link nodded as his eyes met with Lall's, returning his attention to Zevan, whose body began to shake from his loss of blood.

Tears began pouring from Mipha's eyes as she gritted her teeth, finally shaking her head rapidly as she shouted out with a mix of anger and frustration, "It's not working!"

It took Tovar less than a second of hearing that to fall to his knees, grasping Zevan's wrist and leaning in close to his friend's head, "Zevan. Zevan? Who did this to you?"

Mipha turned up to him in surprise, shocked that he'd ask Zevan to expel more energy, though Tovar shot back with a yell, "If we can't save him, I'm sure as hell gonna get who did this! Zevan?!"

A new collection of teardrops emerged, now at Zevan's eyes as he seethed through closed teeth, his voice wavering violently as though in the throes of death itself, "H-H-Hylian."

Tovar's eyes jumped up toward Mipha, who returned much the same, before he turned a concerned glance up toward Link, who merely returned with the same neutral look he always had.

Zevan managed breathlessly, "Dra-gon."

His brow now curled in confusion, Tovar suddenly shot a look out along the main bridge, as though seeking out any evidence of a dragon up in the sky, coming back with none before turning to the two soldiers who'd found him.

"We saw no such thing," they shrugged, worriedly.

Tovar returned his attention to the fallen soldier, eyeing his Princess, "Lady Mipha, with all due respect, if we can't help him here, I'm going to have him taken to the canal."

Mipha had continued her tearful attempt at healing, her open hand now clenched into a glowing fist atop the wound, her teeth gritting determinately before she pulled away, falling back so where she was sitting there, covering her face with her hands as she wept. Tovar took it as confirmation, waving over the two men and the three of them picking Zevan up as he groaned painfully with every jarring movement, the three soldiers quickly rushing him along further into the Domain, leaving Tovar to shout aloud so that Mipha could hear.

"We'll do what we can, but at the very least, we'll give him an honorable death," he ordered, before disappearing down one of the ramps that would take them down near the water beneath them.

Mipha pulled her legs in front of her, burying her head in her knees as she shook, digging her nails into her scalp as she covered her tears, shaken to the core by her inability to help her soldier. She couldn't ever remember such a thing being the case; it was as if she had simply lost her ability to do what she thought of as her greatest good.

She felt a warm hand at her shoulder, though she didn't move from her position, simply losing herself in her tears as Link knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he eyed the pathway beyond the bridge, skeptically watching for anything that might have been there.

Hylian. Dragon.

His eyes constricted as he watched out for anything of the sort, finding nothing, and returning to his Lady, gently stroking her back with his arm. He hadn't ever seen her like this; both in such a tearful state, as well as one in which she couldn't heal somebody with her magic. Unknowing much of this situation, all he knew to do was offer his warmth. It was what comforted her most.


	5. A Respite to Heal

Mipha's fingers fiddled with one another as she rested her hands on her lap, staring off into the distance from atop the lengthy trunk of the Divine Beast that perpetually remained stationed within the Zora's reservoir, Vah Ruta. Her eyes had remained narrow as she watched the sun disappear behind the mountains surrounding her, her voice all but non-existent as she sat here alone, not even invoking one of her mother's old hymns.

She played back the scene from earlier in her mind, again and again, sometimes pulling her hand up in front of her, watching her hand glow as though making sure it still did as she wanted. What had she done wrong? Her eyes fell in time with a sigh as she stared wanderingly toward the reservoir waters below. How her powers had been so unwillingly reserved as well, she thought for a moment.

Gradually arising from behind her came the unmistakable grunting of Link, carefully climbing up to where Mipha sat with bruised hands from Vah Ruta's craggy frame. He brought himself up with a sharp exhale of breath, relieved that he'd made it as he reached up to stretch his arms, watching Mipha as she remained as distant as she'd been a moment ago. He made his way closer to her atop Vah Ruta's trunk, sitting along its edge as well and remaining there silently, knowing Mipha hadn't come all this way to speak, but for silence.

He pulled his rucksack to his lap, pulling out a bag of boar jerky and offering a piece to her, though she only replied with a shallow shake of the head. Link returned to himself, feeding himself as he stated off into the distance, aware that Zevan was, at this point, "uncomfortably stable"- for the time being, he hadn't much to weigh his mind. Removing a pairing knife from his bag, Link began sliding the jerky into bite-sized bits, causing the fins along either side of Mipha's head to shiver at the sound despite her stillness.

"Zevan is hanging in there," Link spoke up simply, returning to silence as he went on cutting up his dried meat.

Mipha still didn't speak, nor did she make any movement that showed any kind of relief, leaving Link even further disillusioned by the sight. Her hands slid down past her knees as she slumped forward, shutting her eyes in disbelief as she finally managed to speak up.

"I've never felt so useless…" she muttered quietly, leaving Link to turn his eyes toward her, sadly, "Never before has a life been lost while in my hands, and yet…"

Her skin crawled like goosebumps, "And right after mentioning Princess Zelda's inabilities as well… Perhaps my own powers are-"

She heard the sliding of jerky again, though this time, her fins twitched with a far more violent sort of shake, just catching the difference in tone; she was listening to the sliding of living flesh, not the dried jerky of a boar. Her head bolted up, eyes wide, as Link sat there with a painful wincing across his entire body, his hand running the length of his arm, trailed by his pairing knife, drawing blood that quickly poured from the lengthening would, like a cascade of red wrapping along his arm.

"What are you doing?!" Mipha shouted in shock, throwing her hands toward him and grappling his arm, yanking it toward her through a sudden burst of dewy, golden cinders of light.

She quickly ran her hand up and down the wound, too frightened to notice the smile Link wore as the laceration rather quickly sutured itself up beneath the shining flakes of sunlight, his pain immediately subsiding as Mipha's body shook worriedly, finally barking aloud with a furious tone, "What do you think you were-?!"

Her eyes met with Link's grin, turning her to stone as the last of his wound healed, a boyish shrug coming from him as he answered her simply, "You made a promise. I knew you'd keep it, regardless of whatever doubts you had creeping around your mind. I knew you'd be there to save me."

Mipha's stony face gradually softened into a frown, "So I'm just a simple parlor act? Some conjuror of cheap tricks?"

"No," Link answered, "You're my savior."

Mipha's shooting eyes quickly widened, taken aback by his words as Link smiled, running his fingers along his arm, finding nothing in the way of blemishes as a result of her healing. There never was, he knew, though it still impressed him to no end how she was able to accomplish such feats. He could feel Mipha's eyes still on him, nervousness surrounding him as he brought his hands together, leaning forward in a pensive sort of posture, his smile fading.

"You know, there are so many nights back home where I feel some darkness creeping in and you're the only thing I can think of to quell those demons," Link explained, "I've changed, I know, since I was a kid. Even without that healing touch of yours, you've rescued me so many times, even if they were simply due to a drive to see you again and being prepared to walk atop embers to do so."

Mipha slowly scooted closer as she listened to his grave words, knowing this was that part of him she'd longed to heal as well. She watched attentively as his fingers fiddled nervously with one another, his downturned head spinning up to meet her stare with a blank expression.

"I know you wanted to help cure this storm inside of me," Link began, "I didn't doubt that opening up to you would help alleviate some things, but… You know, I never was brought up to be- Knights have to be outstanding and stoic, and especially with _my_ parents, I just never-"

His head turned up, interrupting himself as Mipha placed her hand on his shoulder, leaning her head against the top of his arm as she smiled sweetly, "We Zora live far longer than you Hylians. I have time to help you figure this, or anything else, out."

Link sighed, "You know, I started talking about this because I wanted to lighten your spirits, but you seem far too excited, now, for me to-"

"We're not turning back now," Mipha confirmed, lowering her head as her eyes remained still, peering deep into Link's own pair, "I've come far too close to learning this much about you, and you can bet the Goddess I'm not about to surrender my ground."

Chuckling, Link waved his shoulder back and forth, trying to remove her fingers that were digging into his skin, "Alright, but you don't have to tear the skin to get that point across."

Mipha yanked her hand away in embarrassment, and though she was rebuffed in her advances, Link merely went along without any prodding, his voice calm, far from the distance it'd had moments ago, "My mother died. I mean, you knew that, but… She was, uh…killed."

Quickly, Mipha's head tilted to one side with a scrutinizing look, "Wait, you said she'd contracted an illness."

Link lowered his eyes with a shrug, "She was the highest of the high when it came to her rank, often never leaving the King's side. It wouldn't sit well with anybody if it came out that she'd been murdered so close to his side."

"Murdered?" Mipha asked in shock.

"Some ruffian or something, "Link began to explain, shaking his head, "He was killed pretty quickly after that, so we never found out his motives, but there was nothing suggesting a Yiga Clan assassination or anything. As far as we know, he was nothing more than a disgruntled peasant, upset with the King for some reason."

His lips pulled to one side as he thought deeper on that day, "I was there as a junior officer of sorts. and I watched it happen. Remembering how scared I was without a sword to my neck; how frightened I would have been if the roles were reversed. Yet she did as she and my father had always taught me. She only stared back at me, with not an ounce of fear or terror in her face."

"I learned from that day, "Link went on, explaining, "To react with emotion, to allow your enemy that victory; you can't allow an enemy to believe, for one second, that they _don't_ have to claw through so much flesh and bone in order to pass you by."

His head turned slightly, finding Mipha's hand wrapped so tightly along the edge of this craggy platform, his hand reaching over to cover her own, sliding his fingers in between the ridges between hers as he spoke further, a weakened voice presenting itself for the first time Mipha had remembered, "I also learned that loving somebody is as fragile for yourself as it is for the other person. If _I_ die, that's nothing more than returning to the nether; but when my mother died…it tore me apart, leaving me alive to deal with that pain. But with you, Mipha…"

Link smiled, his eyes running up her arm to meet her sullen face, "Not only did I fall in love with somebody who cares for me, I fell for somebody far more able than I am at protecting themselves. I don't have to keep an eye out for you- well, I mean, I can, and I often _do_ , simply because your scales captivate me to no end- but your abilities with your spears and tridents, I've never witnessed them before, and it's no wonder fate has brought you together with this beast before us."

Mipha smiled, her embarrassment quelled by the warmth had that had taken atop of hers, "You sometimes maneuver around words the same way you do your sword."

"Blame my father for that," Link grinned, rolling his eyes as he turned away, "He always had the classics in the house for when he was off-duty. Ezlonus, Maple and Syrup's 'Tome of Many Merrys', 'Time Served Atop Tingle Tower: A Gritty Memoir', all those old things."

Only able to just hide a giggle, Mipha spun her hand around, clutching Link's hand between her curling fingers, "Well it made for quite the hero of mine."

" _Lady Mipha!_ "

The two of them leaned forward, catching just a glimpse of the Zora floating there, his hands cupped before his face, "Lady Mipha!"

She nodded, waving her hand to signal her hearing him, allowing him to continue, "You are needed back at the Domain, along with Sir Link!"

Turning toward Mipha, Link sighed, "I know that tone."

She nodded, "Indeed. We're not to dawdle."

Grinning, Link began to make his way to his feet, "He still watching?"

"Yes," Mipha answered, pushing herself toward the edge, watching the waters below as she prepared to dive.

"I'll have to kiss you next time, then."

Mipha was happy to let go, if only to hide what she was sure was what little of a blush Zoras were capable of showing.

* * *

A/N: According to director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, BotW is so far later in the Zelda timeline(s) that he didn't bother even placing it on any of the three established timelines. While there's evidence that it's during one of the two "Link Succeeds in OoT" lines, seeing as how the Zoras in BotW know of, and revere, Ruto as a sage, it's not made clear by anybody, so I merely had a bit of fun with the books Link references in this chapter, with no regard to whether or not any of the people mentioned are within the correct timelines, though I have to laugh at a religious leader taking Ezlo's name at any point in the canon. #FanficLife


	6. An Honorable Death

Link stood at attention in the presence of the Zora king, Dorephan, even beneath the scrutinizing glance of Muzu, who shook his head dismissively, sending his whisker-like fins to and fro, fluttering through the air. Mipha stood a distance away from her secret companion, having been instructed to by her teacher, and though her head remained low, she still remained with a glance toward the only Hylian in the room.

"I want it on the record, my king; I've been telling you these Hylians are foul news indeed," Muzu's voice shook with a deep-seated rage, "Now you have your own soldier, one of your most loyal and dependable no less, telling us the very same thing I've been spouting for centuries now, to you, _and_ to your father before you. You owe it to your good sir, Zevan, to do away with these monsters before they can do any further harm."

Dorephan eyed his advisor, "This man and his two counterparts and Hylians, yes, but are you not but a single Zora out of many others?"

Muzu scowled toward the massive King, "One in many where such a thing is expected. These Hylians are out of place; what are the odds of there being two parties of them concurrently?"

The King sighed, turning toward Link's sturdy posture with a frown, "My friend, surely you must understand my advisor's apprehension. Our only eyewitness, the victim himself, no less, implicated a Hylian being of some sort."

"I understand."

"Even though I would trust my very life to your sword, and even my daughter to your protection as a Champion," Dorephan continued, shoulders slumped, "I cannot vouch the same for those two downstairs. Despite simply completing a task between our nations, nonetheless they are no less strangers than whomever tore a hole in my soldier's chest."

Mipha objected, stepping forward, "Father, have you lost any sense of justice? Baseless accusations are-"

"Silence!" Muzu shouted, grumblingly, "I won't have a pupil lecture me in this room. You of all people should understand just how vile those Hylians can be; I'm merely doing my duty in defending my home from further evils."

Link turned to Mipha curiously, wondering if her teacher had found the two of them out, but she only lowered her head, stepping back into place, following the instruction of Muzu, who huffed a breath as he shook his head displeasingly. He turned back toward the King, who also had a curious look due to his statement, and began speaking again.

"At the very least, chain them up or something until we figure this out. Even if they weren't the ones to fell Zevan, how could we ever know whether or not they're merely patsies? or wholly aiding in attempted murder?"

Dorephan turned toward his daughter, noticing her drooping fins and shoulders, absolutely dejected from her teacher's slight from earlier. He groaned, covering his face with his fin as he shook his head, as if attempting to disguise the swirling thoughts in his mind before revealing himself once again, shooting a glance toward Muzu.

"My daughter speaks the truth," Dorephan confirmed, much to Muzu's shock, "An advisor can jump to conclusions- and indeed, your differing ideas are what make you quite an outstanding attendant of mine. However, a King has not the luxury of sending bad tidings to other nations merely on speculation. Zevan is alive; other than some wanton assault, no crime has taken-"

Dorephan's eye's narrowed as his body leaned forward, Link and the others present catching his gaze and turning around, watching for themselves Tovar walking hastily toward the throne room, visibly in a state of distress as his hand waved in front of him, almost removing rehearsed speeches from his mind in trying to find a polite one to enter unto the King with. Mipha's eyes widened as she realized the news he must be bringing, her head tilting backward so as to catch the tears at her eyes before they fell.

Tovar entered the throne room, waving his hand in front of himself one last time before kneeling there, his fist pressing into the ground as his lips curled outward, revealing gritted teeth as he held back tears, "Zevan has died."

A silence wove its way into the open-aired room. While Muzu spun away to collect himself at the news, Dorephan actively reacted with sadness, his body falling as he exhaled in horror, "What?"

"He never regained coherence," Tovar managed, weakly, "He died not ten minutes ago. We sent him down the canal, off to the goddess' realm, in as near of condition as was his best, without decay."

Dorephin's eyes shut as he curled forward, wrapping his hand across his face in anguish, shaking his head. Link slowly approached the Zora kneeling there, though Muzu was quick to shout in his wake.

"D-Don't you dare!" he shouted, though it didn't stop Link's advance.

He dropped to a knee beside Tovar and leaned into him, tightly wrapping his arms around him as the Zora quaked, leaving Link with little more to console him other than a slight, "Your son was a good man."

"A good man, indeed," Dorephan suddenly roared, his voice boisterous as though addressing the goddess herself, "A tremendously good man was Zevan."

He turned an eye toward Link as the Hylian stood back up, though his head fell to hide his grimace while the King continued, "I might have allowed some manner of clemency before, but with the death of one of our own, Link… I'm afraid you understand what this means."

He waved a mighty hand toward the entryway as Tovar made his way back to his feet, signaling his prized soldier to turn and retrieve Lall and Jarrol, the two men entering the large, fish-shaped throne room, leaving Lall rather enthralled by the architecture while Jarrol nervously peered toward to the gigantic Zora sitting before him. His only respite came with his noticing their bodyguard, though his heart wavered once more as he saw Link's reservedly upset expression.

"I'm sorry, friend," Dorephan spoke, earning a crude glance from his advisor, "But surely you're aware, with a death such as this, I have no choice but to relegate you to the chambers below until we know what has happened, fully."

Muzu cracked, "Don't apologize; these pests have brought darkness in their wake! on the near-eve of your own daughter's festival when your soldiers are least present! It wouldn't shock me to discover this one, so intimately tied to us Zora, wouldn't reveal such things merely to revel in our destruction!"

"Muzu!" Dorephan shouted, "My respect for your advice trails just so far! As it stands, this man holds the blade he holds; what makes you believe I would doubt his intentions when I offer my own daughter to _his_ care in their band of Champions?!"

Muzu spun toward his King, the two arguing as Jarrol shook nervously, leaning toward his cousin, "W-What's going on?!"

Lall's lips grew crooked with a smarmy expression as he answered, "Well, for one, the fish is going to make for a particularly pungent ride home."

As Dorephan and Muzu continued their boisterous shouting, Tovar took the initiative, waving Link over and frowning as he took his wrist, pulling him close as he apologized, his Zoran voice cracking behind fresh tears, "I'm sorry I have to do this. I never could have expected this, to be sure."

Link shrugged, "I understand. Just be careful for whatever's out there, okay? I don't know what Zevan could have misconstrued as a 'dragon', but the Hylian part is unmistakable. Keep an eye out for anybody; no manifest had any other group coming here after us for weeks."

Tovar nodded, his voice breaking through quietly, "Thank you for your condolences."

He shoved the chained cuffs back into his pocket, Muzu having noticed, leaving him to reply to Dorephan in a frenzy, though leaving Tovar to speak to Link respectfully, "Thank the goddess I don't have to shackle you now."

"Afraid you'd still lose in a fight?" Link answered, smiling weakly, trying to earn something of a grin from the man before him.

Tovar pushed him playfully toward the two other Hylians, grunting authoritatively, "In line, prisoner. I know where the cuffs are."

Link smirked at Tovar's feigned brutishness as he stood beside his two companions, Lall silently watching him from the side in confusion, finally speaking up, "What have we to smile about?!"

"Hey," Link muttered, turning to the two Hylian men, "I'm your bodyguard. I'll keep you safe."

Jarrol's eyes rolled dramatically, his body swooping down as his knees gave way for a moment, shaking his head, "You just _had_ to get the 'free' one."

"I don't want to hear that from you, cousin," Lall retorted, bemusedly, "You're the one telling me to cut expenses."

"Expenses!" Jarrol retorted pitiably, "Cut _expenses_! Not cut our lives short! Had I any wanting to die in a foreign prison, I'd at least have it be to the Gorons; I hear being incinerated is far less painful than being skewered and set to die in agony while sliding down the pike!"

Lall chuckled, "Old wives tales, cousin! That was long ago, if ever it were a thing! I'm sure these fine people are far more civilized!"

Tovar elbowed Link in the back as he passed behind the three Hylians, stopping between Lall and Jarrol as he leaned in between them, speaking with a sinister tone, "That was my son who died. If I find out it was because of you two, I'll be sure to fashion a particularly lengthy spear."

Unable to speak, Lall's eyes jerked open as Jarrol let loose an anguished whine, "We're doomed."

Their Zoran captor could only release a small grin at their reactions.

* * *

Lall sat near the corner of the tiny room that sat near the river waters coming off the falls, his leg popping every other second as he kicked the adjacent wall, his eyes growing heavy from exhaustion as he did his best to kill time. His crossed arms tightened as his head wavered, catching and releasing sleep like a fish that had hopped from the water and imprisoned h-

"This is _fantastic_ , cousin!" Jarrol shouted, his nerves having gone from fear to sarcastic fury since being jailed, waking Lall from his nearing sleep as he did so, pacing back and forth.

Lall's head fell backward against the wall, his eyes straining to peer out the window into the night sky that had appeared, just able to catch the moon's light from just beyond the corner of the barred hole in the wall. He frowned as his cousin continued his tirade, swinging his arms, gesticulating wildly in vocal hyperbole, letting loose a torrent of expletives before finally finding some semblance of direction in his oration.

"Your sister might as well be a witch! Sending me out here to my demise alongside my incorrigible cousin! I'm an apothecary! What have I to do with finances anyway?! Why did I accept this insane death march?!"

Throwing a finger to Lall, he continued, "You k ow how these people are! Just watch! The thought of my poor child seeing her father still atop that pike after these Zora have sent our corpses back to have made us an example! I haven't done any wrong! All I wanted was to pleasure your dear sister and repay her from childhood; now I've got nothing but a free bodyguard!"

Link had been standing silently by the doorway, having been peering out through the bars since they'd been put in here, though Jarrol still flippantly launched a verbal salvo in his direction, "I bet you this one fancies us as mere patsies; ready to abandon us, leaving us for dead!"

"Alright, cousin," Lall groaned, "You can voice your craziness to me; trust me, I've quite learned to deal with it by now. Don't bother a hired hand with-"

"He _wasn't_ hired!" Jarrol cried out, as though the fact had massive significance.

His eyes lowered, noticing Lall having curled up toward the wall, his finger scratching seemingly uselessly upon the rock, Jarrol finally muttering curiously as a hand reached to the back of his head, "W-What are you doing?"

Lall replied, gravely, "Well, I'd like this room's next visitor to have a name to go along with the skeleton."

"COUSIN!" Jarrol exclaimed horrifically, wrapping his arms around his head as he swayed aimlessly, shaking his head to ward off the evil thought swirling around in there.

"Please tell me you have a key."

Lall's head turned toward the door, Link's words catching him off guard, his eyes shooting open at the red tentacle waving back and forth from atop the doorway, Jarrol having much the same reaction as he quickly stepped away from the foreign object dangling there. Soon enough, a body appeared as the crimson tail fell to the ground, a red Zora child picking itself up and grinning toward Link as he approached the door, reaching an arm out to high five the newcomer.

Instead, the child shot a fist out, extending a thumbs up as the moonlight just caught a glimmer off his broad teeth, leaving Link to pull his arm away with a smirk, "Right, right; too cool for high-fives. I gotcha."

A boyish chuckle escaped the child as he yanked a key from his satchel, sending Jarrol's eyes alight as he rushed toward the door, his feet entangling and sending him to the ground. He still scurried on all fours toward the door as Link stepped out from the newly opened door, closing it back in Jarrol's face as the man nearly slammed into the bars in his bid at escape.

"Sorry; we can't let them get too suspicious, can we?" Link asked with a shrug, crouching lower to meet Jarrol on his level near the ground, "You have my word as a soldier of your King. You will not die here; I'll come back for you two. Sidon and I just need to figure out what's going on, right?"

He turned to Sidon who grinned widely, though this time he crossed his chest with a heavy slam of his arm in a salute, nodding and sending his oversized fin half-flying up and down in time with his motions. Link stood and began to leave, with Sidon scampering alongside him, peering reverently up toward Link more than he was watching his step, the two leaving Jarrol to slide his head down along the cell door, pressing his forehead against the freezing foundation below him.

"We're doomed," he whimpered repeatedly, "Doomed… Doomed… Doomed…"


	7. Children's Checkpoint

Sidon cleverly navigated around the astounding number of ramps along Zora's Domain, sure to keep his pal from being apprehended by any of the few night guards who were left. With Mipha's birthday mere days away, so many of Dorephan's soldiers were off in the world, gathering magnificent items and trinkets in preparation of an event he'd unconsciously made plenty bountiful, almost to the point of leaving his Domain severely undermanned.

"Trello is one of the only few soldiers left," Sidon spoke in a raspy sort of voice, his vocal chords still noticeably growing between gills and lungs, "As bearer of the Ceremonial Trident after all, he's forbidden from leaving Zorans, but outside of him, there's very few of anybody here other than Tovar and some trainees. I overheard my father worrying about Zevan's death in the face of lacking defenses; I figured you'd help."

Link nodded, "Of course. Though, there's not too much I _can_ do with what little is known. Zevan mentioned a "Hylian dragon", but I'm not familiar of any such thing. Not only that, whomever killed Zevan, I have no idea where they could be."

He grew quiet for a moment in thought, "And that wound… I've seen every sort of weapon and its effects on skin; I've never seen such an ugly state as that which felled Zevan…"

Sidon mused behind tightened lips, trying his best to ponder as much as an adult could, only coming to a simple conclusion, "I mean, what if this thing is just making its way here?"

"What?" Link asked, curiously.

With a shrug, Sidon replied, "I mean, Zevan was a patrol down the main pathway on the way to the Domain itself. Perhaps he was simply checking a passerby when he was injured?"

Link stroked his chin between two fingers, his brow furrowing as he recalled Zevan, an anger growing within him as he thought if who could have possibly murdered the man, "But he was the first patrolman, correct?"

"I believe so."

"He stopped me and my clients because we had a wagon of goods; he was merely there to check if we had our proper papers in place; he wasn't there to _protect_ the Domain. Why would he have even encountered that person?"

Link's eyes narrowed, "Did this person actively hunt Zevan down..?"

Sidon shook his head, "Nope. First patrols keep hidden until their duty arises. You'd have to be blatantly familiar with Zora practices to even be aware that Zevan, or any patrol, was near that checkpoint."

Frowning, Link crossed his arms, "When did you get to be such a luminary when it comes to Zoran military?"

"Well a Prince must be regal in any instance," Sidon grinned, showing his bravest face before suddenly darkening, turning his head over his shoulder as he frowned, "I mean, even if I still trip on my dorsal fin sometimes…"

Link grinned, "You know, that can only serve you well into the future when it comes to the opposite sex."

"Why? Female Zoras naturally maneuver better in the water; why would such bulk help me in that endeavor?" Sidon wondered innocently, reaching behind him to curiously grasp his fin that dragged along behind him.

"Might just be a Hylian thing then," Link surmised humorously, turning away as he examined the darkness covering the mountains surrounding the area, shoving his thumbs into his pockets as he strode alongside the growing Prince.

The two made their way along, making light conversation, before falling into a silence. Link didn't think much of it until happening to catch a glimpse of Sidon in passing, noticing the downcast face upon the Zora child, Link's brow furrowing in inquiry, unsure of what was on his mind. Just before he could ask, Sidon made his feelings known.

"Do you remember my mother at all?" Sidon asked sincerely, "All this stuff about the festival has everybody talking about her, but I barely know her. and my sister refuses to talk about her."

Link turned toward him with an inquisitive look, "Why not?

The Prince's shoulders shrugged before dipping low, his voice trailing, "I dunno. She just brings up other things. Even before I could talk, I would write what I could, but she never explained anything."

Link's mind gently whirred to life, trying to figure out why Mipha might not have told her brother about their deceased mother. Not just that, but he had to figure out a way to answer young Sidon without invoking an upset response from Mipha later on, a far more troubling issue to him.

"Well…" he began with a slow cadence, "From what I recall- I was only here so many times before Hylians were banned from Zorana, so being so young, I often didn't-"

"What?!" Sidon questioned loudly, jumping to face Link with a shocked face.

Link's eyes veered off before turning toward the young Prince, Sidon's eyes wide at the mention of such a decree being placed upon his home, "I mean, when I was a child, my mother was assigned to a unit whose job was to routinely come here to improve both trade and social relations. This was after the discovery of all that Shiekah technology, right? The King was all about a unified Hyrule and all that, more or less to lessen any issues that might arrive from buried tech being in a land other than his own."

"Anyway, my mother brought me along since I was too young, really, to stay in the academy; my father was away, so she had little choice. We'd travel here maybe every few months, helping train your soldiers, and-"

Link cocked a grin, "I actually wasn't young enough not to bruise up some of your younger soldiers during duels."

Failing to find the humor, Sidon peered out into the distance with tightened eyes, fighting for comprehension, simply leaving Link to cover his mouth, clearing his throat, "Sorry, my liege."

Link went on, "Anyway, we did that a year or two; suddenly, one time, we didn't come here. Only later did I go back and look- your father had Hylians banished, even though I think Muzu obviously had more of a hand on that; though, from what I could find out, some massive slight had occurred, so depending on what it was, I can understand the action, I suppose."

"I haven't heard anything about that," Sidon sighed, crossing his arms.

Link concluded, "Muzu was always pleasant before then, so whatever happened, it was enough for him to ward off all Hylians."

He tilted his head, "Your mother though, from what I remember, she was incredibly kind- Mipha actually reminds me a great deal of her. Like, she was unfathomably kind. I was too young to understand social conventions- I remember first seeing her and just staring at her, unable to wholly grasp such a pretty being, even in my childish mind. She only smiled; she never took offense or reprimanded me."

Sidon complained, kicking a foot along the metallic ground, "Mipha doesn't say anything like that about her."

"I'm sure there's a reason," Link shrugged, "I'm sure it's been tough on her. As somebody in a similar situation, I can understand what she must be going through. She and I, we both go on, forced to wear straight faces. Maybe that's why we gravitated to one another; who knows."

Sidon grumbled, crossing his arms, "Well I don't like secrecy. I'm just a Zora pup trying to grow into this world around myself- I'm not asking for much, just a word or two about-"

"HALT!"

Link's hands bolted into the air, his head turning over his shoulder as he looked behind him, finding nobody there. His brow fell in suspicion, turning his feet around in a circle before finally finding the source of their accoster's voice.

"Think you're funny, don'tcha?" came Rivan's voice, a fierce look upon his face, throwing around a thorny slab of long stone in his hand, "I should have curfew-breakers taken directly to the Lieutenant!"

Behind Rivan stood both Bazz and Gaddison, the three of them wearing ill-fitting helmets while also carrying weapons, obviously makeshift, that looked to have been created in no longer than ten minutes. Gaddison stepped up to Rivan's side, seeing as how Rivan was currently outnumbered, holding her spear toward Sidon.

Sidon and Link watched the performance with more curiosity than worry, especially as the two up front began explaining themselves, probably seeing as how they were holding their Prince at spear-point, beginning with Gaddison, "Tottika told us we could take up arms in our Domain's time of need!"

"Yeah!" Rivan shouted, "We only had to ask him twenty-eight times!"

Gaddison frowned, dropping her stance and turning toward her comrade, "How're you gonna tell them that?! They won't take us seriously; what if they were actual intruders, prancing about after curfew?!"

"I know that!" Rivan replied, also breaking his stance, "Our Prince wouldn't be escorting bad people, though; duh!"

Gaddison fired back, "Well, what if he was?!"

Finally ending his shocked silence, Sidon sighed, waving his arms, "Guys, this is Link; he's an okay-"

"Tottika said to-!"

"Yeah, well my dad said-!"

"Your dad can't use his spear 'cause it would break in just a few strikes!"

"Your father is nothing but a reservoir-watcher!"

Sidon groaned, leaning aside to address Bazz, knowing he was the leader of this small assortment, "Hey Bazz, can you let them-"

Bazz's eyes were nearly transfixed upon Link, causing a sort of blank stare from the Hylian, who suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable, though thankfully had enough of an argument brewing between Rivan and Gaddison that he turned his attention back to them, taking a few steps toward them, reaching his arms out, "Alright, alright you two, calm it down now."

Gaddison's teeth shone in the darkness as she scowled, "He started it! I'm just finishing it!"

"Ha!" Rivan scoffed, raising his arms up on either side of him, "You couldn't even finish your exam."

"That tears it!" Gaddison shouted, lunging toward her cohort, though Link had inched himself close enough to grab hold of her as she did so, the rude gesture from Rivan behind Link's back only infuriating her further.

"Okay, calm it down!" Link now shouted, turning an eye toward Sidon as his body shook from the flurry of punches being thrown past either side of him by Gaddison, "A little help?"

Sidon quickly took in a massive breath, even leaning backward for a moment before throwing himself forward and shouting through half-formed vocal cords, " _YOU_ HALT!"

More from the shock of hearing the Prince yell so vehemently, the two combatants paused, turning toward the red-finned boy, though Gaddison still wore a silently furious scowl as she fell in line, standing beside Rivan and fighting the urge to strike him before her Prince. Link took a breath before standing up, crossing his arms and staring down at the kids with a concerned look.

"So why is your unit falling into chaos?" he questioned, shrugging, "You do realize, out in the field, you guys are all you have, right? If you're already fighting evil, how much difficult is that to do when you're also fighting each other?"

Rivan's lips turned, displeased, as he turned away, much like Gaddison who peered off into the distance, reaching up and rubbing her arm. Link turned up toward Bazz, who hadn't fallen in with the others, and wondered aloud, curiously.

"Are you with these two?"

"He sure is!" Rivan shouted, thrusting a dramatic finger into the air and dropping it to point toward his leader, "Bazz is the entire reason we're-!"

"Cut it out, Rivan; you're being addressed," Bazz muttered, ashamedly, looking away as if embarrassed by his cohort's embellished reply.

Link grinned in amusement as Rivan returned to his position with a huff, Gaddison taking the moment to snicker under her breath, the three of them jumping in shock a second after Link pulled his sword out from behind his shoulder, even earning a revered stare from Sidon. He tossed it in his hand affectionately, turning to the kids with a sincere smile, even as Rivan clutched Gaddison's shoulders and pulled her over to shield himself.

"Look, I know you're probably too young for such talk, but I figure if you're out here on patrol when there's something out if the ordinary afoot," Link shrugged, "You three are all you've got out here. So cut out the bickering; understand one another better. There's too much uncertainty with enemies; it has no place within your own ranks, right?"

Rivan pulled away from Gaddison, coolly running his wrist across his face as he frowned, clearly displeased at the thought, though he still replied with a disheartened, "If you say so. Okay."

Gaddison replied in kind, though with only a nod, allowing Link to finish in kind, waving for Sidon to continue around the pack as the two of them continued, leaving them with a quick, "Good luck. I'll hopefully be able to help you once the first light shows; I'm not about to let this stranger run amok if I can help it."

He stopped, noticing Bazz's distant demeanor as Rivan and Gaddison moved along, muttering amongst themselves with displeased tones, leaving Link and Sidon alone with Bazz, the Hylian beginning, "Make sure to keep them in line; they've got spirit, they just need to keep it tempered."

"Yeah, that's what my father says," Bazz replied, frowning drolly, "He can wield electricity, so I better be able to wield those two."

Link smirked, "You seemed pretty interested in wielding a sword, too."

"What?!" Bazz shouted, turning toward Link in surprise, leaving the Hylian to chuckle.

"You were staring at it, weren't you?" Link questioned, reaching up to remove his sword from its sheathe, "Kind of an odd weapon for a Zora, isn't it?"

Bazz lowered his head, hiding his embarrassment as he replied, quietly, "All the great Heroes wield 'em…"

Link smiled, tossing his blade in his hand before lowering it toward Bazz, spinning it around to offer its handle, "Wanna give it a shot?"

"M-M-Me?!" Bazz sputtered in horror, "N-No, I've never- I, uh-"

Smiling with a quiet radiance, reminded of his own apprehension, Link returned his sword to its home, simply leaving Bazz with a few words, "Maybe I can show you a thing or two before I leave for good."

Met with an awestruck expression on Bazz's face, Link turned and strode away in time with Sidon's short legs, the leader of this children's Brigade left with not much else in his mind but heroic portraits of heroes swinging swords and felling evil gods.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for a poorly written chapter; as forced as this scenario and characters are, in the greater scheme of things, I needed a B-Brigade scene to establish some things- I actually wrote a whole other chapter before scrapping it and re-writing it into this, so it might have been worse :p I'd say one more chapter, then after that, stuff begins hitting the fan, so expect things to 'ramp' up (Zora's Domain pun intended)


	8. Bare

Mipha's hand grabbed ahold of a block of stone, running it down the length of her trident's speared ends, sharpening its edges, her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on what she'd been taught by Dento, the Lightscale Trident's builder, on how to care for the weapon, even leaning forward on occasion to peer down its length, measuring it with her eyes before returning to grinding the stone against its sharper edges. She admired how elegant it always appeared, remembering how she would stop in the middle of training as a child, simply eyeing the weapon's end, usually accompanied by one of the Demon Sergeant's hopeful tirades to get her back on track. Even now, she couldn't help but smirk at her teacher's wavering voice, knowing he needed to shout, yet still unsure of the procedure, seeing as though his student was the King's very daughter.

Segguin would run her through drills during the mid-day sun, ensuring her young body was capable of harnessing the energy required to jump from one riverbed stone to the next, or jabbing her trident at targets of stuffed grass, again and again, until the various vital points of all of Hyrule's classifications of walking creatures were ingrained in her head, some more confusing than others. Gorons were left off the list entirely, though Segguin often remarked, appreciatively, how thankful he was that they never appeared hostile.

Thinking back on her teacher when it came to her skills with weaponry, Mipha couldn't help but recall her own tutelage under Muzu, her father's learned advisor, where she'd go after combat training, when her body was tired, but her mind prepared to learn. Muzu had come to the latter end of his life, and after serving many Zora king's, interacting with many visitors, and traveling a bit himself, he had come to learn a great deal, and saw Mipha, the King's own daughter, to be a worthy recipient of all he'd known, having no children of his own.

Indeed, Muzu had come to love Mipha as his own, and was known to partake in bouts of anger whenever some troublesome little thing of her's would be brought to the King's attention, often claiming it the fault of those who Mipha had so tactfully attempted to escape from punishment. On one occasion, Mipha had gone along with her trip of friends and pilfered some of the lightning arrows to examine the forbidden ammunition, seeing what was so "dangerous" about the things, leading only to two of her friend's losing a fin or two for a few months. When brought to the King, Muzu spattered the walls with phlegm, shouting at the shop owner's negligence in allowing the arrows to be stolen in the first place.

Mipha paused her sharpening, staring into space with a lost look on her face, a shivering cold coming across her as she bent into herself again, shutting her eyes, thinking of the event that her memory of Muzu's teaching would conjure up like clockwork. It always sent shivers up her spine, compelling her to force it out of her mind whenever she returned to them; those memories that nagged at the back of her mind from time to time. A vision of a Hylian, among a band of others, whose face she'd so feverishly scratched out of her mind, a name that-

"Going somewhere?"

Mipha jumped only slightly, taking a reserved breath as she lowered her head in a pensive reflection on her lack of awareness, speaking up quietly, "You really shouldn't sneak up on people."

Standing in her curtain-drawn doorway, Link only shrugged as he replied, "I believe, last time I visited, you chastised me for making so much noise."

Mipha sighed helplessly, turning her head over her shoulder to see her knight, "Let me guess-"

"Sidon." "Sidon." the two replied in sync.

Shaking her head, Mipha began putting away her sharpening tools, sighing with displeasure, "I guess he _is_ still too young to act princely."

"I mean, I do appreciate it regardless," Link retorted, "May I?"

She waved at him in invitation, allowing him to step into her room, still eyeing her trident as he stood alongside the same cabinet that held her trinkets from earlier, "I didn't know he could talk already. If he's doing that this early, he'll no doubt be massive in maturity."

Mipha nodded despondently, obviously shaken by Link's arrival, leaving him to watch her attentively until, finally, she spoke, "I just hope he becomes as benevolent a person as my father as well."

"From how you tell it, your father was a feisty sea pup back in the day until your mother whipped him into shape," Link grinned thoughtfully, "Seems she worked more miracles beyond what she did with her hands."

Again, nothing in reply from Mipha as her head lowered, leaving Link concerned as he watched, his voice returning with a light air, "You okay?"

She sighed, "I'm, uh… Today just has me a bit shaken is all."

"You were about to head out and find whatever killed Zevan," Link answered for her, his calm voice catching Mipha off guard, "Before I happened to show up, anyway."

"I'm- I'm not-"

Link shrugged, "You don't just sharpen a weapon this late unless you have something to kill in the darkness."

Mipha turned toward him, her tone increasing in spirit as she replied, "I have a duty to my people."

"You have a duty to Hyrule," Link confirmed, his eyes matching her own, "You're the only one who has even an inkling of how to run that Beast up there if the Princess is correct."

Lowering her gaze, Mipha stared down at her legs, watching her hand nervously run along her knee, doing her best to avoid her lover's critiquing stare, though Link's next question did little to quell her mind, "Why don't you tell Sidon about your mother?"

Mipha's head jerked up in surprise, watching Link's lips curl inward as if he knew he was entering a heavy topic of discussion. Her hands reached up to rub her face as she released a sigh, slightly perturbed by her brother's revelation, even though she knew Sidon had looked up to Link, and with finding speech, would easily divulge quite a bit to him. She dropped her hands to her lap, turning to stare out a small opening in the curtain walls that now served as a window, watching the waterfall's pouring downpour bounce off the rocks in a fine most.

"I don't want him to know what he missed, "she answered, rather plainly, "I don't think its fair to him."

Link replied, "I mean, he wants to know; quite desperately, at that."

Mipha shook her head, "There's plenty of things that he shouldn't know, even if he wants to."

A dark air surrounded Link as his eyes narrowed, watching Mipha's eyes avoid him at all costs. He pulled his arms apart, clutching the cabinet behind him as he leaned back against it, his eyes lowering as he contemplated moving further, eventually choosing to go on.

"Are you talking about Sidon, or me?" he questioned, lightly, "Going off, alone, at night, with an overly-sharp weapon. That sounds like vendetta to me."

Mipha didn't reply, though Link caught a noticeable shiver working along her body once again. He took a step forward, grabbing ahold of the back of a nearby chair as he approached her from behind, swinging it around and sitting beside her, gingerly grabbing at her hand and pulling it toward him, gently, playing with her fingers before noticing how abbraised her skin was from running her sharpening stone down her trident too hard. He ran his thumb over the peeling skin, swirling it around to carefully tear the dead particles from her, keeping his eyes down upon her delicate fingers that he'd seen perform in duels with anything but a delicacy.

"What don't I know?" he asked, quietly and carefully, "If you're afraid of hurting me, you're doing much the same to yourself with your scales. I can spare some scales of my own."

Mipha grinned, "Hylians have no scales."

"What do you think my cold exterior is meant to be?" Link explained with a light air, still tending to Mipha's mildly broken skin atop her hand, "I shed my scales for you every time I'm in your presence. Granted, it doesn't hurt like yours do, but still."

He caught a faint smile upon Mipha's face as she nodded slightly, her fingers curling between his, ceasing his care in favor of his palm's warmth. Her smile gradually faded away as she built up the courage to speak, finally doing so, her free hand clutching at her knee as her voice shook awake.

"The band of Hylians you and your mother were a part of?" she spoke in questioning, more in wondering if Link recalled, "You had a man in your party. Marco."

Link thought for a moment, slowly nodding, "…yeah, vaguely. He was the, uh…marksman, right? He was training your soldiers with the bow-"

He paused, suddenly turning up toward Mipha, "Wait, you think he's the one who killed Zevan?"

"I don't think," she confirmed, quietly, "I know. When I tried healing Zevan's wound, I could feel his presence. I was truly upset with my inability to heal my soldier, but my tears were-"

"Marco's been dead for fifteen years," Link muttered, cryptically, earning a shocked glance from Mipha.

"Wh- What?"

Link sighed, "My mother imprisoned him on some charge a month or so after our last visit to the Domain. He, uh- He was too smart though; he got out."

His hand tightened around Mipha's, causing her surprised face to melt into a look of worry, Link's open hand reaching up to cover his mouth, his fingers running along his chin as he fought back emotion welling up within him.

"He was the one who killed my mother," he spoke, quietly, "I watched him do it. and I watched him die."

Mipha's shivering ran colder at this confirmation, Link continuing with a still tone, "He's not out there."

"He has to be," Mipha answered, her hand sliding out of Link's grasp as she stood up, crossing her arms to rub her hands along either side of her, staring worriedly into the curtain walls as faced away from her lover. Link watched her with concern, suddenly realizing that she hadn't finished her story from earlier. His mind nearly went numb as she spoke up, her voice awash with fear.

"I held my hand over Zevan's wound, and I felt it all over again," she whispered, shaking her head, lowering her head as she tried to hide her tears, "That same, unmistakable, disgusting, slithering feeling I felt the last time I saw that man. It crawled down my spine, up my arms; I couldn't help but relive that moment of helplessness. When that man tried to do what he could to rob me of everything he could get those filthy hands of his on."

Lost in both her outpouring emotions and her story, Link barely noticed his hands having folded into fists atop his legs, feeling a seething anger bubbling up in his gut. Mipha's aura suddenly changed as her head rose up, turning toward the trident she had so scrupulously sharpened, her tears running down either side of barred teeth.

"I begged Segguin to take me under his wing. Our Princesses don't usually take up arms, but I wasn't about to relive that, ever again," she spewed, angrily, "I knew if I ever had the chance, I'd drive it through his chest myself. He never got all that he wanted from me, but if I had the chance, I knew I'd take far more from _him_."

She paused, taking stock of her thoughts, "Then Muzu found out, told my parents, and we didn't have a Hylian anywhere in Zorana for decades. Probably why Muzu continues to hate Hylians; I always figured I was like a daughter to him. To him, all Hylians are the same, and while my father disagrees, I don't think he has the heart to send away the man who so vehemently took up for his daughter."

She took a breath before lowering her stare once again, speaking malevolently, "I know he's out there somewhere."

"Mipha," Link uttered, quietly, "Marco is dead. I witnessed it."

"I know its him," she repeated, turning to face her lover, a pleading look upon her face, "I know this evil far too unfortunately well."

She whispered, her breath an icy chill, "Trust me."

Link exhaled defeatedly, rubbing the butt of his palm across her eyes as he shook his head, "Okay...say that he _is_ alive, what do you hope to accomplish in the dark?"

"I know these lands better than anybody; I just-"

"So does he," Link reminded, coldly, "Marco knew these straits like they were his own limbs; that's why he was chosen for the convoy in the first place."

Mipha stared out the gap in the fabric walls, "Good to know his fascination with us extended well earlier in his life."

"Cut that out," Link quietly requested, his voice audibly withholding a sort of anger.

She turned to him, watching him pithily, "Cut what out?"

Groaning, Link's head fell backward as he attempted to collect himself, "I don't want you to mistake my calmness for indifference. If that man is out there, I want him fucking dead for what he tried doing to you. I'm just trying to take a breath and think."

Mipha's head lowered into a tiny, bittersweet smile, "That's what mother taught us isn't it…"

The two turned silent as they reflected individually, leaving Mipha to continue in her reverie, "She never really looked at me the same afterwards."

Link's eyes jumped up to watch her melancholic face staring off as she finished with an increasingly hushed voice, "She mustn't have known how to deal with that."

"Do you resent her for that?"

"No," Mipha acknowledged, quickly, as life sprang back into her voice, "No, I don't; I just-"

"You don't want to ruin Sidon's vision of her," Link interrupted, Mipha's sudden silence leading him to believe that he was close enough in his assessment.

Mipha lifted her hand, examining the skin that ran along her fingers that had been dutifully cleared by Link moments earlier, her eyes shaking as she concluded, "In a single moment, I'd gone from her innocent little child to somebody who'd met with the horrors this world has to offer. She d- She didn't even-"

A squeal escaped her as tears ran down her face, her arms suddenly wrapping around her shoulders as she buried her head toward her chest, shaking as her pouring tears only forced the cold air to bite at her skin all the more sizzlingly. She did her best to hide her cries, but only found herself unable to until two strong arms found their way around her, matching her own grip, as Link pulled her close into him, making sure to bring the side of his head to her own, enduring her icy skin to offer whatever comfort he could in his warmth.

Mipha's shivering continued, though her cries had ceased, her body torn between utter sadness and the warmth of her warm-blooded lover. Link didn't speak a word, simply massaging her back with his arm, running up and down her powerfully delicate frame, sure to run a gentle thumb around the nape of her neck, forcing her head and shoulder to contract in a gratifying constriction.

"Stop iiiit," Mipha complained, nearly whining, "I was having a moment."

Link smirked, "Sorry."

"You boy," she charged, still keeping herself attached to his body.

Prepared to stand here for days if only to quell an ounce of this woman's heartache, Link pulled his head down along her skin, priming his lips to whisper into her ear, "Don't go out there tonight. Please. I was prepared to leave at first light; we'll go check it out together."

Mipha didn't move, nor did she reply, simply remaining against him almost as though she'd fallen asleep there. Still, life returned to her yet as her face sunk into his chest, remaining there a few moments as she took in his scent, his sturdiness, his endless warmth, as she contemplated his words, deeply.

"You'll have to order me to stay," she muttered in a hushed tone, "Otherwise, I leave tonight."

Link's face contorted in confusion, his eyes tightening as he replied, "I'm the son of two great knights; even with you, it's kind of burned into me to _take_ orders, not give them."

He could feel a slight pull as Mipha slowly made her way apart from him, and although he was sure it was nothing more than a bluff, Link still mustered whatever authoritative air he could, pulling his arms away and grasping his lover by the arms, just beneath her shoulders, as he stared into her gazing eyes.

"Stay, for tonight," he ordered, without a hint of wavering voice, "Let me relieve you of your troubles."

He felt her grip tighten as Mipha's eyes lost their focus, simply staring beyond anything in the way of the physical as she peered through the man she loved, seeing far more than anything in this present moment. In a moment, she closed her eyes lightly in expectation, leaving her lips slightly parted and Link a bit confused.

"Oh!" Link nearly shouted in surprise, realizing her intentions, "Sorry, I just- This is just one of the perks of being a man's first love, I guess."

Mipha tried to withhold her smile in order to maintain some sense of sensuality that was all but lost now, though ultimately failed, shaking her head humorously, "Just kiss me, okay?"

And her face burned at such a soft touch, radiating throughout her body as Mipha lost herself to the man she was a mere few days away from declaring her love for with the ultimate show of affection, evidence not only by her side, devoid of scales, but also by her undying loyalty to remain by this man's side until her last breath.


	9. Midnight Consolation

Oftentimes whenever Link slept, he wouldn't dream, particularly due to his inability to find a deep enough sleep to do so. Back in the barracks, Hylian knights were routinely kept on their toes at all hour, especially after the Akkalan uprising, when the King became quite weary of nearby threats, especially seeing as how his own subjects had rallied against the Crown. Link was still a young teenager at the time, and while his skills rivaled many of his superiors', it also meant he received the brunt of many jealous slights, unable to sleep soundly when even his fellow guards were threats to his rest. Only when he returned to his home did he ever find a true sense of sleep, but even then, he didn't dream much, or if he did, he must have forgotten them quickly upon waking.

This script would change whenever he had the opportunity to sleep alongside Mipha, the pair's hidden relationship often leading to them having to sneak their way into the bed of the other. Such was the case on this night, which even included Link's jailbreak at the hands of the Zora Prince, no less, and as had happened before in similar situations, Link found his mind wandering in sleep, visibly able to collect fragmented thoughts just long enough to feel them as nearly real.

While these dreams didn't usually extend beyond the realm of possibility, Link still found solace in his mind, particularly when experiencing dreams of his parents, dear friends, or, in tonight's case, a silhouetted view of his mother, sitting among different Zora warriors, teaching them different strategies and postures that she would utilize in her guard duty- the very same knowledge she would teach her son.

Link walked along this blurry dreamscape, many of the characters involved missing their faces in blurry hazes as he passed them, almost as though there were transparent flames covering them. He walked along the warrior's platform, an area specifically for battle preparation, examining what he could of the faces he was actually able to make out.

There was Dorak, his mother's only superior, a scraggily-bearded man who'd earned an endless number of stares from the hairless Zora, and an equal number of giggles from their children. Then Oshiel, the group's tracker, her claim to fame being a particularly nasty group of lizalfos who raided Mabe Village by night, single-handedly leading a small band of silent, armor-less warriors into their well-hidden cove and slaughtering them without casualty. Being the recipient of quite a few lizalfos attacks themselves, Oshiel left them in quiet awe as the recounted the tale, by Ikunk's tally, seventy-six times. Ikunk was their mathematician, though as Link passed him by, he couldn't make much out but his grey whiskers just barely escaping the haze.

He continued around the room, his gait slowed as a dastardly sinister presence overtook his dream, an icy chill running down his spine as he turned toward the ramp leading to this terrace, his childish eyes staring so deeply that he began to feel a fright consuming his heart. There was Marco, returning with a group of Zora marksmen, tossing his bow to the ground with a disconcern that permeated his entire attitude, turning toward Link's mother and scowling at her before shaking his head, returning to an area of the platform left for his band of Zora.

"Sorry men," Marco sputtered out as he passed past Link's mother, passive-aggressively muttering along, "If we had better equipment, I could demonstrate stuff to you without having to worry about snapping equipment."

The mother turned a vicious glance toward him after he passed, deciding to remain quiet as she returned to her own work, ignoring Marco as he fell back against a column, sitting there with an arm propped up on his elbow, nodding toward his band.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Remember, keep your eyes still and your hands more so," he explained, sighing from exhaustion, "Keep up your exercises and everything, okay?"

His band affirmed his instruction before filing out, leaving Marco to relax, resting his head back against the slender column as he shut his eyes, keeping the sweat from his brow from scorching them. The man brought up his sleeve to wipe his face, his eyes opening up just enough to catch the person entering the terrace as the warriors left, bowing her head to each and every one of them as they reciprocated in kind, Mipha's crimson skin appeared as the crowd left, her eyes quickly appraising the room before she approached Dorak, the leader of these humans.

Link watched her with melancholy eyes, recalling the young Princess from his youth. His face turned back to Marco, immediately noticing the man's own open eyes, leering across the room at the Princess, sending Link into an angry stupor as his teeth showed furiously. He dashed toward the marksman, Marco's eyes catching him just soon enough to jump to his feet and throw a massive hand out toward Link, smashing his palm into Link's childhood face, slamming the boy into the ground. Link angrily seethed, working his way back up to his feet, his eyes shooting wide as Marco stood above him, his fist aimed down toward him at full extension, a brightly lit dragon coiling around his arm, teeth barred, ready to snatch Link's life right out of him.

Marco grinned, shaking his head as he winded up a punch, leaving Link too frightened to move, the giant man shooting a punch that lunged fantastic energy toward Link's face as the dragon snapped his jaw right at his-

"GAH!" Link shouted, jumping awake and bolting upward, though only stopped by a weight that kept his body attached to the bed beneath him.

He took rapid breaths, his hands bolting up toward his face, where the dragon had consumed him, only finding himself fully intact, allowing him a relieved sigh as his elbows fell to the mattress, allowing his hands to remain covering his eyes, rubbing them in exasperation. His head fell back into the pillow, his mind reeling from the nightmare that had seemed as though it would ultimately be his end, his heart still skipping fearfully as his mind suddenly wandered to the last time somebody had been taken by this "Hylian Dragon"…

His eyes peered up toward the ceiling, maroon curtains hanging down from there in inverted arches, as his hands slowly wandered down to his neck, sliding slowly toward his chest, where Zevan's life had ended with a jet black hole having incinerated his heart. His hands rolled atop his chest, though stopped there, running into Mipha's arm, which she'd brought up over her head as she slept, keeping her head more or less propped against Link's chest. Link sighed once again in relief, returning his hands back to his face where he ran them up and over his head, finally stretching them out across the bed at either side of him, simply leaving him staring up into the nothingness above him.

"Are you awake?" he suddenly heard in a whisper below him, turning his head down toward the thick comforter that wholly covered the laying Mipha atop of him, her sleepy voice already captured in tired stillness, now covered by the blanket.

Link sighed, "Yeah. I just had a nightmare is all."

He heard an inauspicious sort of low giggle from beneath the thick sheet, "Me too. What was yours about?"

Link nervously curled his lips in thought, thankful that Mipha was unable to witness him grasping for an excuse, "Uh, d-… dogs."

"Dogs?" she wondered, curiously.

"Y-Yeah," Link went on, having already devoted himself to this line of questioning, "I, uh- I guess Daruk really got to me, you know? Those fangs, those claws; you know, how they just chase people down and all- it's really kind of freaky, you know?"

Mipha giggled, "I think they're running up to you to say hello. As long as you're not a Deku, they seem to be fine with everybody. Poor Daruk; he even knows they're often more afraid of _him_ than he is of dogs."

She finished her laughter, sending Link's body into a similar cadence of vibration, while she reminisced on her friend and fellow Champion, the group not having met since their coronation as such. They had all gone to a Hylian tavern and "made merry" as Daruk exclaimed, leading to much of them pounding mugs and getting into surly bouts of arm wrestles, most of them won by their Gerudo representative, Urbosa, who went on to smash an entire table in a celebratory nose dive off of the bar, which amazed even Revali, their Rito presence. Even Link partook somewhat in the drinking, though Mipha remained on the sidelines, preferring to remain outside the alcoholic goings-on.

"Hey," she spoke up, recalling that night now, "Do you remember that night? after we'd all been knighted as Champions, I mean."

Link pursed his lips exhaling heavily as his mind conjured up surly memories of boastful nothings, "Uh, a little bit. I remember Revali spinning me around and goading me along, trying to tell me it was like flying at mach three and then passing out."

He shook his head embarrassingly, "Why do you ask?"

With her body fully concealed by her tiny space of infinite, Hylian warmth, Link wasn't able to eye her for some indication of what she was thinking, making the situation all the more unsure because of how quiet she'd become. He cleared his mind, not wanting to work himself up with worry, lest his heartbeat increase, which Mipha was in an obvious place to notice. Slowly, she continued, her voice a soft sweetness.

"At one point, you came over and asked if I wanted to dance," she spoke up, catching Link out of his mind.

He muttered, concerned, releasing a nervous sort of laughter, "Uh, yeah, I don't recall that at all."

Link felt Mipha's body give way to a small bout of laughter which didn't last long, her body quickly returning to normal before he felt her body slowly running up against his, pushing her head up through the top of the blanket so that she could see him, her body carefully sliding off his to where she lay beside him, still with her topmost arm wrapped around his torso while she stared up into his eyes.

"Do you truly think I'm beautiful?" she asked, quietly, with a sense of uncertainly that sent a pang of sadness through Link's heart, "You said I was that night, and I blushed so hard I couldn't accept your invitation, so- So I wanted to know, you know, when you're mind is totally about you…"

Link smiled, pulling his forearm up and wrapping it around Mipha's head, bringing two fingers along either side of her one pectoral fin beside her head and sliding them down simultaneously, "Are you sure _your_ mind is totally about you right now?"

Mipha's eyes fluttered away in thought, "I mean, Zoras have been known to get a bit of exhaustion from basking too long in the sun, so being beneath that blanket for so long, I suppose I might very well have-"

In a sudden spurt of interruption, Link pulled his head over to place a gentle kiss before her own lips, Mipha's eyes quickly returning toward him in surprise. She watched his soft-looking face, his eyes closed, as his fingers continued their work caressing her fin, lulling her into that same existence of oneness with this being that she so adored. Their lips unmoved from one another's, Mipha shut her eyes as well, encircling her mind with the intense warmth that now burned at her lips in a sauna-like relaxation, her hand sliding up his bare chest and coming to his cheek as she pushed herself toward him, following along as his head fell back into its pillow, the two of them finally allowing themselves some respite, or Link, anyway.

He more or less forced her away, gently, quickly taking breaths as Mipha watched in embarrassment, "S-Sorry! I forgot-"

Link shook his head, his lungs now beginning to work overtime, "No, it's fine; I'm all for you stealing my breaths, but I don't exactly want to die, you know?"

Mipha grinned, childishly, her gill fins fluttering out of Link's view as she proudly reminded herself of the advantage she had over her love in this arena. Their eyes never left one another's, and in fact, their gazes only seemed to deepen as they focused more on the other's eyes, losing themselves in those souls that seemed to reside there.

"You are the most beautiful being I've ever seen walk this land," Link confirmed, easily, "Even lacking oxygen, I can say that with a clear enough mind to know it as the truth."

Mipha watched him as she wore a wry smile, her eyes following along with a mischievous glance of their own, "You've been to a great many places, you know…"

"And I still know this to be truth," Link confirmed, stoically, hoping to convey how unflinching his words were now, "All I ever see is your face."

Mipha lowered herself back into the grasp of his lips, the two of them sharing passionate reciprocation of their emotions, Mipha being careful to pull away just long enough to allow Link a breath before hurriedly rushing back for another tender exchange of gentle sucking and kisses.

"All I ever feel is your skin," he went on between a flurry of pressing lips.

Her hand slid around to grasp at the back of his head, instinctively attempting to pull him closer, wanting him there, wanting him pressed against her body as close as one being could be matched with another. Her heart raced as Link's body heart began to crescendo to its peak, causing her own cold blood to boil with sensual longing.

"All I've ever loved is you," Link managed, his words catching Mipha off guard enough that she pulled away, allowing their eyes to stare into one other's once again, both of their bodies rising and falling as their breaths had labored beneath one another's worship.

He quietly went on, "I wouldn't have made it this far without you, Mipha. I'd have still been that unknown whelp of a guard had you not suggested I try my hand at the Master Sword. and I want nothing more than to share everything I have, or ever will have, with you as my wife."

Mipha turned her head down to hide whatever expression of embarrassment she was showing, quietly replying, "You know I only wanted you to have a chance at being a Champion by my side…"

Link grinned, "Even so, a Princess shouldn't have to be saddled with some nameless guard. I'm just happy to have been somehow made worthy of what we share."

Suddenly, Mipha's head arose, a distant stare meeting Link's eyes as she retorted with a light voice, "Even if you truly had no name; if you'd had not a thing to your name, I still wouldn't dare relish such a thing as this with anybody but you."

Link watched beneath her lowering glance as she allowed her face to bury itself into the nape of his neck, kissing along his bones and into the ridges that led to his most sensitive pieces of skin, gently sucking at him as Link's hand held the back of her head, now finding it to be his duty to pull her as close as she could be. Shivers ran down his spine as her loose lips entangled themselves with his skin before releasing her deep kisses, Mipha running her lips up and down his neck at seemingly random intervals.

After an indeterminate span of time, Link's arms wrapped around Mipha's shoulders, slowly and gently pushing her to her back as he followed along, leaving him above her as she suddenly shook from the warmth left behind atop the mattress from where Link had been laying. He now took his turn kissing her, sure to involve his hands as their warmth slide the arms that had found their way around his head.

Link went on with his worship, though gradually slowed, feeling Mipha's arms around his head gently shaking in time with her chest, leaving him to pull away to check on her. She replied with a weak smile, though this gesture was betrayed by the tears that had welled up in her eyes, sending streaks of glistening tears down either side of her face.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, heartlessly, "I wish I could be everything to you that a Hylian woman would be…"

Link watched her carefully, "Why don't you think this is enough for me?"

Her smile grew, leading to a grotesque expression atop her tearful face, "Because it wouldn't have been enough for _him_ …"

Link felt his heart tighten, his breath stopping immediately as her words stung him. He lowered his head, his hair brushing along Mipha's chest as it swung to a stop down below his shoulders, his voice becoming non-existent as he lost his train of thought, unable to think of much of anything to say.

"I'm sorry," Mipha's voice cracked to life again, "I didn't mean to kill the m-"

Her head lifted up as she felt a drop of water at her chest, raising herself quick enough to find Link's own tears falling from the other end of his head. She quickly reached up to gently grab ahold of his scalp, running a tender hand along his hair in an effort to relieve him of his anguished state.

"Sorry," she repeated, "I was just-"

"How do you think I feel?" Link asked, suddenly, raising his head toward her, showing his reddened face as tears continued rolling down his cheeks, "I've seen you with your brother. I know all you've wanted, your entire life, was children of your own. I don't care about a few moments in time being withheld from me, but I'm stripping entire lifetimes from your care."

Link suddenly broke an odd smile of his own as he balanced himself with one hand, bringing the other up to cover his face, wiping away his tears as he shook his head, "By the Goddess, what a strange time to bring this all up. I'm starting to think we both were having the same nightmare."

Mipha bit her lip at his assertion, not answering as Link took a deep breath, returning to his previous posture above her, "Look, if you want to have somebody else help you with that, I'm totally fine with-"

"No," Mipha replied.

Link watched her curiously, her stare turning determined, "I love you. and only you, Link. I'd rather share my life with one person than share it with any number of others. Especially if that one person is you; so no, you're just going to have to get over the fact that I only love you, got it?"

He grinned, "Quite a punishment, huh?"

"Indeed," Mipha nodded, feigning seriousness, "And I love a lot, so you'd better be prepared."

Link chuckled, nodding respectfully before leaning down to plant another kiss at her neck, "I'm a Knight. I always am."

"Good," Mipha nodded with finality, "Now, when it comes to you, it doesn't matter one bit whether or not I feel the same things as you do when it comes to…you know…"

Her eyes slanted suspiciously as they slid away, peering off into the distance, "W-What does it feel like..? If one were curious enough to ask, anyway…"

Link smiled, placing his hand atop her stomach, allowing its heat to radiate throughout her body as her skin smoldered beneath his warmth, causing her to jolt a bit from the sensation, "If feels quite a bit like that."

"W-Well, we're not so different then…" Mipha concluded, "I'd still like to experiment a bit, if you wouldn't mind. It's rather unfair that you see me without clothing all the time, yet I've never seen you with anything less than your shirt off."

"Just out of curiosity, right?" Link asked, playfully.

"Of course," she replied, haughtily.

Link reached down, leading with his lips, happy to have left her with a mere fraction of what she might be offering with the next few moment of time, simply in an effort to leave the two of them on equal footing. His nightmare had left him frightful of the day before them, the same thing probably being thought by Mipha herself, he wondered correctly. In some effort to leave parts of themselves with the other, they lost themselves in that same dance that lends so many to become singular beings; brought to loss by the faint wondering of one of them not coming out alive the next day.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _I played with the idea of some intervention causing Mipha to actually bear eggs that would become her and Link's children, but because they obviously wouldn't expect this, she would ultimately face her demise, with Waterblight Ganon not only killing her, but their children. But because I'm not an absolute, utter monster, this idea was quickly swept under the rug, never to rear its ugly face again :p_


	10. Invasion

Link pulled his tunic down past his waist, straightening out his equipment before reaching for his sword, tossing it over his shoulder and beginning to strap the weapon across his torso. He eyed Mipha as he did so, watching her pull her light blue Champion's wrap of fabric along her slender body, pulling it to her side to cover the large area of scaleless skin, much as she'd done ever since she had begun her labor of love.

She noticed his stare, causing her to smile before looking down at her side from between a grease in the fabric, "It's nothing. I'll just be sure to parry to the left."

Link's worried glance didn't subside, only continuing in the same tone as his speech, "Are you sure?"

Mipha grinned childishly as she shook her head, continuing to prepare, "Come on, you said it yourself: I know how to take care of myself. I've come too far and have far too many responsibilities to be careless. I have Sidon to look after, I have a festival in a few days that requires my presence; I have my people to protect beyond today."

She began to bend down to collect her bag of supplies, jumping as Link snuck his arms around her from behind, holding her tight and resting his head over her shoulder, "Just be careful."

Her lips turned wide in satisfaction, reaching up to hang her hands from the arms that surrounded her chest, "I have a man to love after today as well. A man who could probably use my armor today if it was completed."

Link sighed, "You mean I won't be able to take arrows for you?"

"While that may be heroically stupid, and slightly alluring, we can't be having that," Mipha confirmed, easily.

Link's arm pulled downward, his hand sliding down her body along her crimson scales before crossing the sudden ridge that took him to the sleekly smooth skin where her scales had been torn from, which forced her to immediately contort in a sidelong motion from such a sensitive touch, quietly whining in reply.

"Quit iiiiit," she mused, complaining behind a defeatedly weak voice.

This only caused Link to chuckle before sliding his hand back away from beneath, though before he could ultimately leave her bare skin, her hand met his, holding him against that same raw area, enjoying his warmth at a portion of her body she normally would never feel it. She cooed softly as the ticklish sensation turned to one of contentment, her head falling back against Link's shoulder as she enjoyed his touch.

"While I would love to offer you life itself from my side, to ensure you would never perish on the battlefield, the most I can offer is assurance that nothing will harm you so long as you keep me close," she spoke in a near whisper, "Even if we're apart, I'll be able to surround and hold you. keep you safe from harm."

Link turned his head to the side, reaching out for a kiss, when a quiet _pop_ echoed through the air from out in the distance. He slowly turned toward the entrance, with Mipha following suit, the two approaching the break in the curtained door and examining what they could see of the Domain.

"What was that?" Mipha asked, confused.

Link replied with uncertainty, "I don't know, but it didn't sound-"

From beyond the great bridge that lead out onto the mainland, a soft plume of smoke ascended into the air, earning a shocked glance from both Mipha and Link. In a hurried dash, Mipha spun back into her room, nearly diving for her trident as Link rushed toward the nearby ramp, knowing Mipha would ultimately make it there ahead of him. Sure enough, exiting her room, Mipha leapt from the platform she housed upon, landing into one of the light falls of water that made its way around the Domain, scurrying up the current and bursting out from the top, nearly flying over the whole of Zora's Domain, landing at the opposing end of the great bridge with nary a sound as she stood up with her trident held tight against her back.

"Lady Mipha!" came the voice of Tovar behind her, "You heard it too?"

"And saw," she noted, jerking her head toward the plume of dark air that had nearly diffused completely.

Tovar's teeth shone in the morning sunlight as he gritted his teeth angrily, "Is it that dragon? I have a bone to pick with that son of a bitch; Lady Mipha, you should retire before any further ominous-"

"I'm staying right here," she clarified, "I didn't train under our Demon Sergeant just so I could twiddle my thumbs when my home needed defending. Besides, we have a Knight on his way to help."

Tovar spun toward her in utter astonishment, collecting himself just quick enough to shout, "Okay, there's so much wrong with what you just said. My Lady, Dorephan would have my dorsal fin if he found out that I allowed you as far as you've already come! and domt you dare say that you've released a prison of our-!"

"I had Sidon free him last night," Mipha shrugged, "Or are you not wanting as much help as you can get?"

Tovar groaned, running a hand over his face, "Rebellion by the King's own lineage…"

His shoulders fell in defeat for but a moment, shaking off both objections and simply pressing on with his duties, "Melepha and Vakem are both at your command, and with myself, that's a three-man army. Trello has taken up at the King's side."

"Link and myself make five; and what of Ronure?" Mipha inquired seriously.

Tovar's face went dark, "We've never allowed an enemy step foot atop our bridge in many millennia, since the ancient men of Akkala tried taking our home. She was adamant that she would remain at its patrol over on the mainland to repel any invader while we prepared."

Mipha sighed, frowning, "…very well. What preparations _have_ been made?"

"Sadly, not much; many of our defenses require skilled defenders, most of whom are currently away," Tovar spoke, treading carefully, not dating to even imply blame upon Mipha for her birthday being the reason for such absences.

Mipha put on a serious face, "I may be the cause of our ramparts remaining bare, but I will not-"

Her voice shot to a halt, her face transfixed, peering over Tovar's shoulder, down toward the opposing end of the bridge. Tovar slowly spun around, an ill feeling welling up within him as he noticed what the Princess had seen. There, just coming into view from around a stack of dragged rocks, strolled a man, a Hylian, one hand barring a long staff at its middle as his other hand grasped ahold of something far more grotesque. Tovar's vision blurred behind a sickening blast of adrenaline that consumed him at the sight, leaving Mipha to only look on in horror.

The Hylian took a step onto the bridge, walking along toward the two of them, his hand wrapped around Ronure's head, dragging her body along his side. Mipha felt a chill scorching the tips of her spine, her eyes trailing down the unmistakable arm of Marco, his palm resting against Ronure's scalp as his fingers curled into a blackish gash that had taken the place of the warrior's face, allowing the man to find a well-placed grip as he carried the corpse along.

Link huffed heavy breaths as he rushed to Mipha's side, gasping exhaustedly enough to keep from noticing her horrified expression, "What did…I…"

His face fell as he noticed what the two other's had, bending low as he gripped his knees to support himself with a angry look plastered across his face. Sure enough, the man _was_ Marco. Back from the dead, it appeared, albeit worse for wear. Tovar whipped his arm up before him, readying his spear with a snarl.

"This ends here," he growled in ultimatum, "I've been witness to too many deaths these last few days."

He curved his arm downward, swinging the tip of his spear along the platform below with a fierce _skriiii_ before throwing his hand into the air, the action being a signal that ordered Melepha and Vakem to ascend the tiny waterfalls that lined the bridge, the two of them swooping into the air and falling to the lengthy platform, each one a ways away from Marco on either side, both clutching their spears with deepening eyes.

Marco stopped his advance, standing still as though blankly taking stock of the situation, Vakem being careful not to get too close, being at his front, though he was sure to examine the staff in his hand, eyeing its elegantly dark design with suspicion. Tovar turned toward Link with downcast eyes, stepping backward toward the others.

"You know what to do?" he asked plainly.

Link nodded, much to Mipha's confusion, allowing Tovar to spin back around and dash his way down the bridge, his spear held horizontally as he readied a massive leap if need be.

"What was that about?" Mipha asked, seriously.

His eyes remained still as Link replied, quietly, "They're hunting a dragon."

Mipha's eyes widened as she realized what roles her three soldiers were taking, her feet about ready to rush out to join them and protect them, but Link was quick to reach out and take her shoulder with a tight grip, ensuring she remained safely away from whatever this Marco had up his sleeve. Until they knew what or where this "dragon" was, Link knew these soldiers were prepared to pay the price in order to allow Tovar, and by extension Link and Mipha, to understand this enemy. Still, coming to this realization only served to quicken Mipha's heart as she watched in worry as Marco's face contorted into a furious expression, probably annoyed by being surrounded.

As though understand the increasing numbers upon him by Tovar's approach, Marco quickly threw his body side-long, throwing his arms out to either side, sending the corpse in his hand right into Melepha, sending her crashing into the bridge, compelled by a split-second decision to not damage the body of her companion by bracing herself. Marco's other arm flew up toward Vakem, tossing his staff into the air to catch its thicker end, the opposing side suddenly exploding into a enormous blast of intense flame and choking smoke, as though a dragon had, indeed, spat out in a charred breath into the atmosphere.

Just as instantly, Vakem cried out in pain as his shoulder blew apart, sending him flying backward and into the bridge, his voice extinguished as his body hit the ground with a sickening _thud_. Tovar slid to a stop, so suddenly that his feet flew out from beneath him, sending him falling down onto his backside as he stared in horror as Marco returned his staff to his torso, almost stroking its top with his thumb as he looked on emotionlessly, continuing his walk toward the Domain.

"By the goddess!" Tovar shouted, scurrying to his feet, waving toward Melepha to remain where she was, noticing her own recovering, "Stay back!"

Not hearing any of it, Melepha threw herself into the air toward the invader, Marco swinging his body around tossing his staff in the air, catching its thin end and winding it up like a club. Melepha extended her spear to split his head in two, though instead of winding up to take out her body, Marco swung his staff into her spear itself, shattering it as he quickly grabbed ahold of her head in mid-air, spinning around and throwing her in front of himself, just as an arrow came flying toward him, its sharp edge catching Melepha's back instead.

Link's eyes went wide in shock as he lowered his arms, a hazardous glance upon Melepha's body hanging there beneath Marco's raised arm with his arrow embedded into her back. Marco lowered her body as he peered along the bridge, his eyes constricting as he seemed to, for the first time, catch who was on the other end. His lips jumped into a sinister grin as he dropped Melepha's body onto the ground below, her body splashing into the small ravine of water than channeled along the whole of the bridge, before Marco snarled, amused.

"Something funny?" Tovar muttered as he walked toward the savage man, deliberately strutting ahead in a straight line, stretching his arms in invitation, "What keeps you your beast from taking another snap out of the air?"

Marco's face darkened as he brought his staff close to him, fiddling with the top of the contraption as Tovar, as well as Link and Mipha, watched in intrigue. Tovar grinned as he advanced, shaking his head in dismissal.

"Ammunition. You're no better than a bowman."

Marco's stare nearly charred a hole through the Zora and his hand grabbed a bolt that came from outside the staff, yanking it straight back to ready himself before rising his arms in aim. Tovar reached close enough to peer into the man's eyes, a disparate gloom coming over him as he noticed the two dark spaces of nothingness sitting where his eyes should have been, the façade of evil magic enough to strike fear into anybody's heart, except, perhaps, Melepha.

Marco threw his staff up before his eyes, taking aim, as Melepha struck the shallow water beneath her with her forearm, the glittering liquid coiling around her arm and suddenly dragging her body into the air, leading with a fist as she flew the diagonal path, striking Marco right in the chin as his staff blew course flames in through the air, striking nothing as his body fell over, nearly clear off the bridge.

Having submitted herself to what little water was beneath her, Melepha's body fell back to the ground, having expelled all of her energy with such magic. Tovar continued his dash, hoping to grasp the staff out of Marco's hand, though with an uncharacteristic, inhumanly speedy move, Marco pushed himself up from the ground, throwing his body into Tovar just as a sickly looking black arm with brightly lit red veins jumped out from Marco's body, hitting the ground and allowing him to contort his body so that he came up upright, the grotesque arm slithering back into him as he spun around toward Tovar patting the club-end of the staff as he approached, readying to perform a coup de gras upon the warrior.

His attention square on Tovar's shaking body, Marco lifted his arms just as Link readied another arrow, releasing the long bolt whistling through the air as it burst through the atmosphere, Marco wholly oblivious to the arrow that had been aimed dead-center.

Suddenly, the same crimson-veined jet-black arm burst from Marco's chest, grasping the arrow clear out of the air, the entire act not even moving Marco from his state, though he did turn whatever bit of light remained in his eyes toward the Domain proper.

"Marco!" Link shouted, feeling Mipha's hand taking his as she stood beside him, "Leave them. It's us you want, isn't it?"

The hand of the cosmically black arm snapped the arrow in two before slurping back within Marco, the Hylian dropping his arms to his side as he stepped over Tovar, who queasily rolled to his side, eyeing his Princess through wavy eyes. Marco rolled his head around his shoulders as though to stretch his muscles, bringing his firearm up to ready it once more as he walked nonchalantly toward the two defenders.

"It's her I want," his speech broke, finally, revealing a revolting sort of voice, as though in a chorus of squirming earthworms, "Give me the pilot."

Mipha's hand clutched tighter around Link's, though her stare merely narrowed as she simultaneously gripped her trident with a tight hold, spewing angrily, "You took much of my innocence; I'm not about to let you take Vah Ruta."

"By the time I'm done with you," Marco spoke lowly, "You won't have much of a choice."

* * *

 _A/N: I feel the need to apologize whenever my stories enter into 'action heavy' chapters, since I know I'm horrible at describing such things xD So, I apologize; but if you'll bear with me, we may yet enjoy the conclusion of the story as a whole :D_

 _Oh, and I can already sense the question: "Melepha" is not related to "Mipha"- I used Fantasy Name Generator and liked it despite its resemblance to the main character :p My bad!_


	11. Reinforcements

Rivan jogged in place, his face covered with both of his hands as his eyes peered through open fingers, terrified and awestruck by the sight of three of his favorite warriors had just been killed or taken out by a single man, one with arms that jutted out of his body, no less. He quickly spun around toward Bazz and Gaddison, the latter of them curled up into a ball as she tried to hide from what had just transpired, while Bazz simply looked on with arms crossed, though even his brow took on a worried arch.

"What are we gonna do?!" Rivan asked desperately, a pleading look toward their leader.

Gaddison's weak voice emerged from behind her arms, which were wrapped around her knees, bringing them up toward her buried face, "What _can_ we do?"

"Bazz!" Rivan shouted, ignoring Gaddison's emotionless voice, "What are we gonna do?"

Blinded by the subservience that had been expected of all future soldiers, Rivan merely stood before his leader, unsure of how to progress without direction, leaving Bazz to bite at his lip as he thought for a moment. They were still only kids, after all, and regardless of however many faux assignments they received in the absense of patrolmen, engaging a hostile enemy was a far different task.

Rivan dashed back toward the edge of the tall rampart that overlooked much of the Domain, leaning over to notice the Hylian crossing over atop Tovar's squirming body, toward Link and Mipha. He showed a grimace as he hopped in place impatiently, ready for action instead of sitting here and watching, not only the great bridge being taken, but the Domain itself. He turned his head over his shoulder, growing angry at Bazz's silence, and finally shouting at him as he jumped in place, furiously.

"Are you even thinking?!" Rivan shouted, nearly shocked by his own insolence, though he offered the feeling little credence as he pointed out toward the main landing of the Domain, "Our Lady needs our help!"

Bazz groaned, reaching up to rub his face with one hand as Rivan went on in worry, "Did you see that thing in his hand?! It's like he's shooting out invisible bombs or something! We've got to-"

"Hey!" Bazz finally shouted, breaking his stoic air, "I _am_ thinking! I'm trying to also not get any of us killed; you're too young to be aspiring to die for anybody!"

"Tch!" Rivan scoffed, "Look, you can dawdle up here if you want; I'm doing my duty as a Zora!"

Bazz eyed him down with a challenging stare, "Is this a coup, soldier?"

Rivan threw a defiant finger toward his leader, "It sure as hell i-!"

He was quickly interrupted by Bazz rushing over and tackling him to the ground, leading to the two of the wrestling with weak punches and involuntarily invicious kicks at random intervals. They rolled around in childish combat as Gaddison looked on, finally standing up and approaching the two, dodging wild punches as she grabbed ahold of either's shoulder, pushing them apart as she stepped in between them.

"H-ey! Knuckleheads!" she grunted annoyed, "Get your heads-"

"He started it!" Rivan shouted, sending a furious kick toward Bazz, though Gaddison immediately threw her hand into its trajectory, intercepting it while digging her claws into his thick skin, forcing him to recoil from the irritation.

He complained, upset, "Ow!"

Rivan rubbed his foot to alleviate the miniscule pain, frowning as Gaddison shouted to the both of them, "Hey! There's enough going on without you two bozos just- What?"

She caught Bazz's eyes following her hand as she gesticulated, lowering her own eyes to examine her hand, noticing nothing out of the ordinary, merely flipping it around lazily, "What?!"

Bazz jumped toward her, taking her hand and bringing it up to his face, "Gadd! Your family watches the reservoir!"

Her eyes rolled, " _I know_ ; Boko-Two over there keeps on reminding me."

Rivan cursed under his breath as Bazz nodded quickly, "But you have claws and rough fins for climbing, right?"

"Gripping, I suppose," she shrugged, "It would be a shame to fall off the reservoir without the ability to catch ourselves on the damp rock face. Why?"

Bazz shook his head rapidly, "This gives me an idea! Fall in, you two!"

With a burst of enthusiasm, despite their previous tussle, Rivan leapt in front of Bazz, giving a salute as Gaddison frowned, waddling slowly into place as her shoulders slouched in resentment. Bazz gripped his wrists behind his back in some regal pose, though quickly realized they were short on time, simply breaking past the two and running down the ramp, catching his two cohorts' attention as they turned and followed, the three kids making their way from the ramparts toward the main platform of the Domain.

"I'll explain up here!" Bazz shouted, turning his head as they slid from the ramp to a platform, catching a glimpse of Prince Sidon scurrying toward them, forcing the Brigade to halt in the face of their liege.

"My Prince!" Bazz shouted, reverently, earning only a glare full of ire from his crimson peer, who didn't stop running toward a declining ramp.

Sidon waved for them to follow, "Come on! We're gonna get help!"

"Help?" Rivan shrugged, "From who?!"

* * *

Lall laid sidelong across the slick floor, running his finger over the water that had condensed there, drawing the outline of a square lackadaisically, smiling bittersweet as he inhabited the space with circles, dotting them with eyes and faces, recalling his family as he lay there with his rudimentary shapes. He peered across the cell to his cousin, Jarrol, who had given up any form of resistance, simply laying beside the wall to rest his wearied head, his eyes just open as he fought to maintain his hold over this world, for no reason other than to avoid the Zora from doing anything to him as he slept. Seeing that he hadn't gone crazy, yet, Lall returned to his water-drawing, sliding his index finger along either side of his daughter's circle, her red hair flashing in his mind in stark contrast to all the hues of blue that surrounded him here.

"What do you think they're doing..?"

Lall looked up toward his cousin, who remained in much the same place, nearly delirious as he spoke further, "our families, I mean…"

Sighing, Lall replied lowly, "Well, it's Thursday; Little Era is probably working on her studies to prepare for a nice weekend with her dad. but, of course, he's sitting in a Zora prison. Poor thing is gonna wake up and realize she's all-"

"My sister is probably whipping up something scrumptious," Jarrol interrupted, never having truly heard his cousin speak at all, "Hog brisket, or some keese stew with all the proper spices that make your mouth water just thinking about it."

Lall shut his eyes with a sigh, turning over onto his other side to give his shoulder a break from the hard floor, keeping to himself as his cousin went on in his delirium, Lall's grumbling quietly to himself in complaint. He had turned toward a small channel in the cell that was used to nourish any prisoners, though since they'd been put in here, it had only ran with water once, and even then, it was only a tepid stream, given by some runoff by the nearby falls. Now, it ran with a current, a rather hefty volume as well, nearly running over the inch-deep divet in the platform beneath him, earning a curious glance from Lall.

"Eh, cousin…" he murmured, heartlessly, "Your mouth isn't watering _now_ , is it?"

Jarrol failed to stop, "-and her desserts, my goddess; strap one of her cakes to the back of its head and a Goron would erode their self away trying to get their tongue back there."

Lall groaned as he worked himself to his feet, slowly following the channel to the hole in the wall from whence it came, pushing his face through the bars and peering to the side, noticing a Zora child yanking on the lever that supplied the refreshment, hastily so, causing the Hylian a suspicious glance. Rivan's feet kept slipping down the wall as he tried keeping the lever down, and at the sudden sound of Lall's voice, he fell to his back completely, shutting the tiny door that blocked the water from entering the cell.

"Hey!" he'd shouted, warning a terrified stare from Riven as he lay there.

Another voice arose from the opposite end of the platform, though clearly in a whisper, "Think he's buttered up enough?"

"I don't know! Just ask him!"

Lall turned, confused, to the three other children, his eyes widening at the sudden idea that he and his cousin were prisoners to mere children, though as the crimson-finned child cautiously approached him, clearing his throat, Lall did his best to reserve his shock.

Sidon coughed into his hand, "Eh, I know this is rather awkward to be addressing prisoners and requesting help from them…"

"You have no idea," Lall answered pithily, mulling over that fact that his captors were half his size.

Sidon cleared his underdeveloped throat once again, his nervousness at addressing another Hylian also at play, speaking lowly as though he were ashamed to say, "Look, we need your help to-"

"AH!" Jarrol shouted happily, finally coming to the situation, jumping to his feet and rushing toward the door.

He suddenly tripped on the empty channel of water, sending him to the ground head first, though he quickly crawled toward the door, scurrying on the bars as he gave a desperate smile, recognizing some of the children from earlier, "K-Kids! Look- Look, I- We- We need to get back home. There's food there! There's food aplenty! Enough for- Okay, okay, okay; you don't care, but listen- Kids, please- We-"

Lall sighed, shaking his head, "I apologize; he refuses to sleep and is a bit off his rocker."

Sidon crossed his arms, tilting his head curiously, "They aren't feeding you?"

Jarrol laughed, though it was Lall who replied with a defeated sigh, "It might have been poisoned- Look, you wanted our help? How about we make a deal, huh?"

Bazz walked up toward Sidon's side, running his wrist along his face as he played it cool, "We don't even know if you _can_ help us yet."

"Well, what are you wanting?" Lall asked, his cousin excitedly jittering around beside him, ready to walk out of this prison.

Sidon frowned, "Uh… We need to kill a Hylian…"

Lall's brow dropped in curiosity, though Jarrol's reaction was far more expressive, his body immediately halting at he stared at Sidon with fear-strained eyes. His body locked up as his eyes rolled back into his head, suddenly slumping over as he passed out from Sidon's blunt request, forcing the Prince to rub the back of his scalp uncertainly.

"I didn't mean you two…" he muttered.

* * *

Riven and Gaddison heaved a large bucket toward Jarrol, who'd been dragged out of the cell where Lall continued slapping him, trying to awaken his cousin with increasing urgency. He turned his head up toward the two kids with the bucket of water, quickly jumping feet and taking the heavy load from them, working his way atop his cousin, strained himself by the volume of water.

"So-" he grunted along with each step, "You think this will work? He's an apothecary; all that illusion and magic stuff was always just a hobby."

Sidon shrugged, "I figured it was worth a shot. We need something, anything, to get that thing away from that guy; I figured he might have more spells up his sleeve than just seeking boxes closed."

Lall frowned gloomily, turning his head away so as to not alert the Zora children to his dismay. That had been one of Jarrol's childhood pranks- it was merely a trick box, with zero magic required, though at this juncture, Lall simply went along with whatever the children suggestion, figuring it was better to go along with whatever they had.

He made it to Jarrol's side, slowly tipping the bucket over and splashing a torrent of water into his cousin's face, sending Jarrol's arms flyingas he desperately attempted to repel the massive stream of water. Lall relinquished his pouring as Jarrol rolled around, coughing up water, finally rolling onto his stomach with his cheek against the cold flooring below, which seemed to comfort him.

"I'm gonna die here…" he muttered to himself, any tears of his having been obscured by the water along his face.

Lall grinned, "Not yet, cousin! You have any more of those illusory tricks within your repertoire?"

"Yeah right," Jarrol rolled his eyes disdainfully, "Last time I did that, I was assaulted by enough of these young ones that I thought they'd take turned chomping at my toes or fingers or-"

He had slowly risen his head, his face turning pale at the sight if Sidon and the others, Gaddison's expression being particularly disgusted as she murmured quietly, "Eww…"

Jarrol went red in a concoction of embarrassment and fear, frozen there as Lall grabbed his shoulders, lifting him to his feet and slapping his hand against his chest with a wide grin, "Cousin! Look, we haven't the time- Now what other tricks do you know?"

Sidon and Bazz looked on expectantly as Jarrol nervously ran his fingers through his hear, his eyes peering upward in thought, his brow curling more and more with worry. He eyed his cousin, seeking some sort of assurance, before frowning, slumping his shoulders.

"You know that I picked that box trick at the academy," he admitted weakly, taking a step back as though anticipation some retaliation from the Zora children.

Bazz groaned, shaking his head, "Well, that doesn't do us much good. What now?"

Jarrol's ears perked as he listened in to Sidon as he scratched his chin in thought, "I mean, I like _your_ idea, but I'm worried of the cost if it goes wrong. If we can think of something to get that thing out of his hand from a distance, that would at least help Lady Mipha and Link with-"

"Excuse me."

The two whipped their necks around toward Jarrol, whose hands were attached by his fingertips before his chest, clattering along each other with nerves as he muttered, "You're, uh, trying to do what exactly? Remove an object from somebody's hand?"

Sidon nodded, "Something like that, yeah."

Jarrol turned toward the tall, sleek walls of Zorana that all but encompassed the Domain, his red eyes clenching tighter as they ran up to the tallest peaks, wondering silently to himself as though formulating a plan. Lall grinned, rubbing his hands together like a miser about to pounce on whatever plan his cousin might be hatching, turning his head in anticipation toward the children.

"Ooooh, I know this look," he nodded, happily, "He may be frightful, my cousin, but only because he's got quite the mind whirring around in there that he has to protect! Trust me- in a moment or two, he'll let loose some powerful, potent bit of wisdom that'll-"

"Fleet Lotus," Jarrol muttered to himself, quietly, though everybody could hear him, with suddenly dropping faces, "Yes. That'll impede the bitterness of those tarts she can't make properly… Hmm…"

In unison, the four children turned to Lall with unamused faces, forcing the Hylian to chuckle nervously, scratching the hind of his skull, "W-Well, you know how these things go sometimes…"

"Wait!" Jarrol suddenly shouted, "You! You have fleet lotuses here, right?!"

Sidon nodded, "Yeah; they only grow in still water, so we often harvest them atop these very platforms."

Jarrol went on excitedly, clearly lost in over-tire, "Yesyesyes! But do you know whyyyy they grow only in water? Their pods are highly flammable under the right conditions, so they simply evolved to grow in places where most flames couldn't often reach. Grind up some fleet lotus, and with some of those pouches of flint we brought on our wagon…"

The Hylian cracked a grin, "Don't mess with an apothecary on no sleep, kids."

They nodded in unison.

As the collective got to work, Sidon approached Lall before he could leave, reaching up to yank on his shirt to get his attention, the Hylian all too happy to reply with a quick, "Hey, thanks for freeing us."

"No, thank you for helping us," Sidon confirmed, slightly upset, "I don't think you should have been put in here in the first place, but… Again, thank you."

Lall smiled, placing his hands on his hips in akimbo as he looked on, "Y'know, I grew up on stories about great Zora heroes. Gerudo and Goron as well, but you know, you wouldn't bother. My father always said that the Zora have sticks, and the Gorons have stones-"

He pointed to his forehead with a grin, "But in substitute of any of that, we Hylians use our heads- we're very resourceful. Perhaps if you're in a bind, consider finding one; we're far more than mere eye candy for you all to gawk at humorously, you know."

Sidon smirked, "I'll keep that in mind."


	12. A Slip Through Her Fingers

Link took a sideways step, placing himself in front of Mipha's raw side, her hand reaching up and grabbing him to push him aside with a firmly polite reply, "Please, I can take care of myself."

"I'm not doubting that," Link explained, "But right now, I'm responsible for this skin here, and I'm not going to allow it to hinder you."

Her eyes jumped up to take a glance at Link's profile, his eyes narrowed angrily as he watched Marco stomp toward them. Her body fluttered at his protective stance, though instead of regaining her own posture, she simply remained at his side, only gripping her trident tighter as she followed her lover's stare. Marco flipped his firearm into the air, clutching its thinner end and slumping the opposite end over his shoulder, his shoulders swaying back and forth as his gait wavered.

His voice escaped with a hideous air, his pitch-black eyes slurring as he spoke, "This vessel will be a blight upon everything you hold dear."

Link could feel Mipha's body trembling as she worked up a response, reaching down to grasp her arm in an attempt to quiet her from replying to this being, but she bit aloud, angrily, "This Domain shall not succumb to anything! Whatever you are, mark my words, we stand prepared to fight; the mightiest machinations ever built _will_ repel _you_ and everything _like_ you!"

Marco smirked a sickly grin, "You talk of that Sheikah junk as though it, indeed, protected _them_. Take a step back, child; these evils that choose to encompass your world cannot be stopped by mere toys."

He tilted his head to the side, patting his cheek against the butt of his firearm, "These Shiekah toys _do_ seem effective in killing _you_ , however."

As he made his way along further, Link could feel Mipha's body continue to tremble, his chest tightening at the idea of Mipha simply striking out of any sort of tact.

"So how much of Marco is in there?" he asked, changing the subject.

Marco's dark eyes curled up happily, "Enough. I can see you, Hylian, in here…"

Now Link and Mipha's roles became reversed as Mipha turned a quick stare toward up toward him, watching as Link's face visibly grow distant, slowly mulling over this thing's words.

"You were there, down the hallway," Marco murmured, his voice dimming as though speaking, slowly, from deep within memories, "He noticed you there, the only son of the woman in his hands… I can feeeeel her forehead, yeeesss… Clutching it tightly against his body, holding her neck exposed… His other hand with a ssssword, I can feel the delicious tug of skin at its opposite end as his hand shakes with worry, staring down so many soldiers… He wants her to cry out…to cry out for her son, just so he can hear the sound of voice extinguished…but she doesn't do so. She barely even shivers with a sword along her throat…"

Link challenged, heatedly, "You'll get even less from me, you monster."

"Ahhhh," Marco's voice lulled, growing louder and sicker as this being returned to its present reality, "He's not interested in getting any satisfaction from _you_. He wants the girl; and how lucky that I'm interested in her as well. He wants nothing more than to pierce her for her transgressions; she took his life once before, so-"

"I'll take it again," Mipha interrupted him angrily, her resolve strengthening at being spoke of so lowly, wanting nothing more than to finally resist in a way she wasn't able to before.

Marco's neck cracked as he rolled it around his shoulders in a circle as if to flex his muscles, shrugging finally as he came to a stop, just beyond the end of the bridge, mere yards away from Link and Mipha. He eyed them with ill-moving eyes, their dark spots simply remaining stationary, giving the two defenders a quietly discontented feeling.

"I'm going to take that beast," Marco spoke, darkly, "And then he can have whatever's left of you."

Mipha lunged into the air, her hand gripping onto Link's arm yanking him backward as she propelled herself, placing her foot against the outer spear of the trident's head as she fell toward Marco, prepared to shove its entire length through him. Marco merely smirked, quickly readying his firearm as a club, though before he could swing, Link dashed into him, tackling him and sending Marcos' arms flying backward, Link just catching the ground with his foot, pushing Marco backward in his delirious state, trying to send him back to where Mipha was landing. Marco rolled out of the way just as Mipha's trident hit the ground in a shoveling motion as she kept it from shattering from a direct hit, hitting her feet for just a split second before dashing forward again toward him.

Marco grinned as he readied his club once again, forcing Mipha to jump early enough to lunge below his swing, though not accounting for his legs. Marco gave a sudden kick, knocking Mipha's legs out from beneath her, recoiling, and then kicking her face as it flew downward, now sending her flying down the bridge. Link hurried to his feet to collect her, just barely able to break her momentum as he swung around to a stop, hearing the angered breath from her as she collected herself.

"Submit," Marco muttered with an amused grin, "I might have _too_ much fun otherwise."

Shedding his worry for Mipha ignoring any strategy, Link simply followed her toward Marco, sliding his sword out as they went, readying it at his waist for an uppercut. Marco stretched his arms out in invitation as he smirked, his third, black arm appearing over his shoulder as its sickly hand grabbed at the butt end of his firearm, aiming toward the two of them, using his shoulder to steady its aim. Link's eyes blew wide, swinging his sword across his body and slamming it into Mipha's side with its broad edge, knocking them both off of their track as the weapon exploded. Mipha nearly lost her balance, but remained upright, lunging toward Marco once again as his two normal hands readied for her attack.

Link, however, had lost his footing and slid off the bridge itself, clutching onto its edge desperately with one hand as he clutched onto his sword, the veins in his face bursting forth in stress as his muscles convulsed furiously from the weight his one arm was attempting to hold up. His teeth gritted as he groaned loudly, reaching up with his other hand to try and do whatever he could to pull himself up further. He dropped the sword there, gripping with his other hand and-

"GAH!" Mipha shouted, her body flying back toward the inner Domain, sliding to a stop as she clutched her shoulder, trying to remedy the pain as she lay there, her face contorted painfully.

Marco shook his head as he approached her, readying his firearm, sliding another bit of ammunition into its top, stepping closer to the grounded Princess, "I warned you."

Mipha's fangs barred toward him as she worked her way back up to her feet, her arm slumped from the pain, "No, I warned _you_."

She leapt into the air once again, causing Marco a shake of his head as he readied his firearm for another swing, though with an expert aerodynamic prowess, Mipha pulled her limbs close in a lithe arrow of her frame, sending her down to the ground much faster than Marco could have expected. She hit the ground a few yards before him, sliding across the watered foundation between his legs as he spun around lankily, just catching her with his eyes as she whipped the tail end of her trident into his head, sending Marco to the ground as he slid along, cursing angrily as he rushed to find a grip to push himself up.

Mipha swirled her trident in massive circles in her hand as she stepped forward before readying it at her side, rushing forward to prepare for another attack. Marco slammed the end of his weapon into the ground, pushing his way up to his feet, just barely leaning his shoulders backward at three sharp edges flew at his face, just able to dodge Mipha's strike. She struck again, another dodge, and again, and again. She quickly readied herself again, aiming for the larger target of Marco's chest, though as she threw her trident before her, the sickly looking arm burst from within Marco, splitting around the middle spear and grabbing ahold of the smooth edge beneath, pushing against Mipha's blow as she angrily forced her weapon forward, this deadly game of tug of war reaching a quick crescendo as Marco threw his own arms out, ready to clobber Mipha's head with her body indisposed.

Wisely, as his two fists flew, Mipha dropped her weapon, crouching to dodge the blows before her muscles sprang like coils, launching her into the air toward the middle of the platform as Marco approached her once again, wiping the blood trickling out of his mouth as his third arm descended back into his chest.

Link desperately tried pulling his way up, but found it more dangerous to do so with such a waterlogged surface threatening his grip at any moment. He angrily shouted as he hung there, when a hand suddenly appeared above him, Link all to prepared to trust its source as he took ahold of it. Tovar rolled onto his back, bringing Link up as well, slumping his arm across his torso as Link recovered, taking only a second to notice the near-endless trail of blood Tovar has left behind trying to pull his way back toward the fight.

Link burst back into a rush, only allowing what he could of a gently press of his hand against Tovar's head in thanks, watching as Mipha managed a few more blows on Marco before quickly succumbing to a vicious punch. Marco grasped ahold of the Champions fabric Mipha had work to cover her side, yanking her back upright as she fell backward from the blow of the punch. He pulled her to her feet, slamming a fist into her shoulder, sending her backward again, only to be brought back up by Marco's grip on her clothing.

Marco sent another fist flying into Mipha's face, her body suddenly losing any sort of tension as her muscles released as she fell back, only hanging from the cyclical round of fabric in Marco's hand. He grinned as the fabric unwound from the weight, quickly releasing its knot and sending Mipha into the ground as it unfurled, leaving Marco to only dispose of the wrapping with a quick thrust of his arm into the air.

"Too bad," was all he could speak with a shrug.

Link dove into Marco from his side, sending them both sliding across the ground as Link held onto whatever he could of Marco, ensuring he could easily pull himself up. He pulled his arm into the air, angrily punching Marco's face, shouting with every thrust, though Marco quickly regained his senses, getting ahold of Link long enough to push him off of him. Link quickly scurried to return to being above his assailant, but just as he reached out, Marco's weapon came swinging through the air, smashing into Link's head as his eyesight went blurred, Link's body suddenly collapsing onto the platform, only able to move his limbs lazily, as though they had gone to sleep and were too fuzzy to come awake.

Marco gasped for breath, reaching up to wipe the blood from his face that had collected in both his mouth and nose, angrily working his way up to his feet, clutching Link's tunic as he slid him along at his side, murmuring angrily, "It can't just be easy, can it? No, they _have_ to delay the inevitable."

He went on, spewing venom as he walked, his body trembling from both the blood loss and shock of Link's assault, going on with slurred speech, his eyes slowly losing their blankness, "These two fuckers, I swear! They're gonna know… They're gonna know what it's like. They think they can put me to death? I don't think so, no; no, I don't think so. We'll see. We'll see about that."

His hands shot up to his head, dropping Link in the process, as he painfully cried out, "WHA-! STOP IT!"

He cringed, trying to fight off whatever it was in his mind that was trying to slither into the recesses of his mind, "N-Not again, you-!"

Marco suddenly shook his head, shooting a stare toward Mipha before eyeing his weapon, leaving Link there as he quickly walked toward the fallen Princess, his teeth running along one another as his breath seethed like a furnace escaping from within him.

"NO!" he shouted, readying his firearm, " _I'M_ taking this kill! Fuck off!" before returning to a subdued voice, as though speaking only to himself, "Gotta make it quick… Gotta make- I can't let him steal this from me!"

Marco fiddled around with the gun, as though not entire sure how to operate it, before finally nodding in understanding, once again reaching up to wide the blood, sweat, and water from his face before aiming it down toward Mipha's unconscious body. His arms shook as the blight within him wrestled for control, forcing the Hylian to shake off the distraction just enough to take a severely unsteady shot, the firearm exploding into a crackle of flame as Mipha's eyes shot open, pain shooting through her body as her arms flew around her chest as bloody pain coursed through her, beyond anything she'd ever experienced before.

"AHHH!" she screamed, rolling around, pulling her arms as tight into her chest as she could to relieve the pain.

Marco frowned as he fiddled with his weapon once more, shaking his head and throwing it forward angrily as he shouted, "FUCK! LAY OFF, DEMON!"

His body trembled heavily as he whispered to himself, his fingers shakily sliding another round bolt of metal into the top of the weapon, "God damned scales. I'll make sure this next bit of metal counts."

Mipha's eyes struggled to peer through watery puddles, her teeth barred in a show of whatever defiance she was capable of in her current state of pain. She could barely make out Marco's head as his body went still, his eyes running up and down her body, simultaneously searching for a scaleless portion of skin and examining her looks, shaking his head piteously as he stood there, his breaths shaking in exhaustion.

"Fuck, you would'a been such a good-" he paused, tilting his head to the side, eyeing her side, squinting to focus in on the rawest section of skin through the blood and sweat covering his eyes, "Ah. That'll do."

Mipha released a tearful gasp, battling every instinct within her to cry out, not dating to give the monster above her any such satisfaction. Though, stressed as she was, she was unable to withhold an anguished whimper as her emotions boiled over. Marco leaned down, shoving the end of his firearm into her side.

"Gah!" she cried out in pain, her hands shooting from her wound to hold onto Marco's weapon, her body too weak to repel its assault.

A chuckle left Marco as he grinned a horrible smirk, whipping his finger up to the trigger, sending a massive, crackling explosion in the air as Mipha's eyes shut tight, sucking in her last breath as she took her final grasp of life.

Her eyelids trembled, her fins fluttering in the most unsurest of movements as she remained aware of the gentle pouring of water around her, descending, she surmised, from Zora's Domain. Fearfully, she released one eye to gaze back into the light, meeting Marco's confused face as he stared, eyes narrow, at her side before jumping back to his firearm. He pulled his weapon up to his face to examine it quickly, paranoia setting in heavily as he turned it, flipped it, anything to figure out what had gone wrong.

"Wh- What?!" he shouted angrily, his body trembling like a man on borrowed time, "What in the-? You piece of-!"

In his wild turns of attention, his head flew to the side, catching a glimpse of Link as he turned around, quickly returning to find the Hylian having crawled his way back toward the scene. Marco threw his hand up to wide his face, examining the odd slab that Link had in his hand, trying to figure out its purpose. Link only grinned at the man's dumbfounded appearance, shaking his head as Marco scowled toward him.

"I think you'll find our Shiekah equipment to be well up to the task," Link mused through his own bloodied appearance.

Marco growled angrily, throwing his weapon up and over his shoulder, taking a step to spread his stance as he prepared to club Mipha below him, snarling as he did so, "You took _my_ life! It's my right to take yours! You won't stop me!"

Mipha's expression noticeably turned to one of stunned confusion, leaving Marco to raise his brow as he watched her, unsure as to the cause of her sudden change. Link had noticed it as well: just above where Marco stood, from the platform directly above, a Zora child had hopped over the railing, clutching it with their knees and falling upside down as another child scurried down, creating a chain of bodies that descended down toward Marco.

Link's eyes narrowed as Rivan frightly climbed down his Prince's body, attempting to do so without offense, before crawling down Bazz's, leaving Gaddison to make her way down, Rivan sure to clutch her ankles before she hung there upside down, just within reach of Marco's skyward weapon.

Marco's eyes went dark as he spouted out angrily, "WHAT?!"

Realizing her own role to play, Mipha waiting just before Gaddison reached out before answering, "Warned you."

Marco's eyes turned in confusion as his grip loosened upon his weapon, still holding it over his shoulder prepared to swing, "What are you-"

In a moment, Gaddison clutched the weapon and yanked it out from Marco's hands, leaving the Hylian to whip around in shock, showing like a deer in headlights as Gaddison threw her own arms backward, swinging the firearm as she shouted out in righteous anger, smashing the end of the staff into Marco's face, sending him hurtling backward and onto the ground, clutching his face as he felt the pain of his skull nearly having caved in from the strike, crying out in tearfully pathetic whines.

Mipha threw her head to her opposing shoulder as Link aimed his slate toward her trident, sending it flying in her direction at a blinding speed, her hand lithely grasping ahold of it as its momentum yanked her to her feet, Link relinquishing it's Mipha painfully took the few steps separating her from Marco, her eyes shrunken as she peered down toward him, their roles now reversed from just a moment ago.

"W-W-Wait!" Marco pleaded, lifting his hands toward her, shutting his eyes as blood poured into his dead eyes, "P-P-Please, I-! I don't know w-what that th-th-th-thing was doing to me! It was eating up my mind and- and- and-!"

A quick stab from her trident into the platform below silenced the man as Mipha scowled down toward him, "Were you not the one who looked at me, years ago, like a man just as possessed as you are now? Were you not the one who tried taking my innocence while you offered nothing but sleazy hatred in return?"

Marco shook mightily, almost as though he were going into shock, "I-I-I-I-!"

"Were you not?!" Mipha shouted, her voice boiling.

The man's lips trembled, only seeking to appease the woman who now held him at spear-point, "Y-Y-Yes- UGH!"

Like a coiled serpent, Mipha had flung her body forward, throwing her arms down toward Marco's chest, shoving the triple speared points of her trident into his chest, leaving him gasping for breath as his head slowly fell back toward the platform beneath him. She leaned closer, supporting herself with her hands clutched so hard on the spear that her joints burned in her knuckles, though it didn't stop her from getting close enough to speak with a venomous zeal.

"In all your looking, you failed to see that I have fangs as well," she uttered, coldly, "Only demons are given second attempts at bodily forms. and on that, I'll accept my duty to cleanse this world of you."

With that, she yanked her spear from him, leaving Marco with but one final gasp before his body went still, remaining there merely as a shell upon the ground. She turned around, dragging her spear along the ground weakly, Link immediately noticing her weary eyes as she slowly attempted to make her way back toward him, though she only collapsed at the middle of the platform.

"Mipha!" Link shouted, suddenly dragging himself across the flooring with a furious pace, "Hold on!"

She raised her hand as a golden aura ran along her fingers, resting it at her side where her scale had been coarsely singed, running a finger between that scale and the next, feeling the smallest indention of intrusion that not ran through her body. She stared up into the sky as blue as the waters that had always been her home, wondering for a brief moment of taking a diving breath into the heavens before Link's head appeared above her, breaking her concentration as he whipped his head down to where her fingers sat tucked beneath her scale.

"Goddess!" Link cried out in anguish, his face turned up in worry as he scooted his lower body close enough to partly rest along Mipha's, allowing him the use of both of his hands.

He could see Mipha's gills begin to flap quicker and quicker as she fought for breaths, her magic fading in time with her shallowing breaths. Link reached over and took ahold of the darkened scale with one hand, gasping in shock as he reached his other arm around Mipha's neck, pulling her body into his in as much of an embrace as he could muster with them laying eschew, resting his head against her chest as he bit his lip.

"I'm sorr-"

"AHG!"

Mipha's body jolted upward, her knees nearly flying into Link's face, her free hand jumping to Link's head and clutching his hair tightly, as a severely crippling pain fired through her, almost burning off her nerves as Link dropped the diseased scale beside her, quickly examining the minor hole in the skin beneath. He grabbed her hand and held it in place atop the injury, watching sadly as its golden radiance faded away, leaving Link with a painfully panicked look as he looked on from above their two hands atop the wound.

"I'm sorry!" he managed through a tearful voice, shaking his head, "I'm so sorry!"

He felt Mipha's opposite hand loosen at his hair, simply rested at his scalp as her thumb slowly caressed his skin through his golden locks, "Don't be… You're still my hero."

Link turned his head up toward her, watching her weakened smile as she tried mournfully to raise her head to see him, tears beginning to fall from his face, "How can I be a hero when I can't save the one thing in this world that I love?"

His tears dripped from his nose and chin, falling atop his hand and sliding between his fingers, running along the entwining mazes of skin between the two of them, eventually settling in the concave of black skin that remained a blight upon her body.

Mipha did her best to smile, though it only appeared as a fleeting pull of lips, "Even if it isn't finished, you'll find my embrace within my scales sewn upon your armor. They'll outlive the children of Hyrule's children- I'll never leave your side, should you allow me to protect you."

"I should have protected _you_ ," Link muttered, a soft smiling breaking through his tears, charmed by her inability to care for her own self, even now, "You're so beautiful."

She closed her eyes, it being the only way to hide from her embarrassment at this moment, though in that state, she could only feel Link's arm around her neck gently pulling her up, her lips suddenly met with the warmth of his own pair. She hummed into his mouth as she burned beneath his heat, her side suddenly beginning to churn, a radiating pain pulsing at the spot of her injury. She forced Link's head closer into her own as her closed eyes tightened hard enough to strain her eyes, painful groans escaping her as Link remained unmoved, allowing her to steal every breath of life from him that she required.

"Mmm!" she groaned between their lips, feeling his pool of tears nearly boiling from the heat coursing through her, her entire body alight with fire, "MMM!"

She shook violently, but Link held her close, his fingers rolling together at her side, scraping at the skin surrounding her wound as he closed his hand around hers, their tears running like waterfalls down onto the sleek surface below. Suddenly, her head flew back away from Link's, eyes wide, as she shouted, worriedly.

"M-My goddess!" she cried out, "I-I'm s-sorry! I said I wouldn't do that again and yet-!"

Beneath a rather blue face from his strain for breath, Link only smiled as his body began pulsing with heavy breaths, "Don't be."

Her body flew up toward his, her hand breaking free from his as she hugged him tightly with her arms around his neck, pulling him as closer as she possibly could, peppering whatever skin of his she could reach with kiss after kiss, tears still flowing down her face, leaving Link to look down at her side. Like an hot iron meant to burn two ends of skin together, the dark patch of sickly skin had been fused together, covering the hole beyond it, leaving Mipha with not much more than a streak of a jet black scar that would inevitably be hidden beneath unblemished scales.

"I can't be a hero without you to save," Link spoke breathlessly, shaking his head in exasperation.

Mipha hadn't a reply, merely continuing to hold her lover tight, kissing his neck repeatedly, washing him with soft worship, again and again, as the two of them recovered, now silently, the gently running water of the Domain washing away whatever blood of theirs that made its way down to the platform below, leaving them with nothing but tears. and one another.


	13. Mipha's Crossing

Mipha stood beside Link, her shoulders slumping forward weakly as her lover kept her up with an arm around her midsection, his own head lazily resting atop hers as it fell to the side. The two of them had gone quiet as Dorephan remained with his face having fallen into his hand, mustering the courage to look upon his battered daughter standing before him. Beside Mipha and Link, the self appointed 'Big Bad Bazz Brigade' had been standing together attentively, though, in their childish reverie, had quickly restarted to a collection of excited whispers as they recounted the events of just an hour ago. To the couple's other side, Tovar stood, in near the same weak state as his peers, refusing to damage his pride by taking a seat- much as Mipha had chosen.

"Oh my god! and that uppercut!" Rivan whispered quietly, just catching Link's ear, as he recreated the action at his two pals, turning toward Sidon, "Right?! and Gaddison! That was so…so- Whoa! Just POW!"

He threw his arms to the side to simulate Gaddison's heroic action, hopping up and down as he attempted to quell his excitement, leaving Gaddison to rub her arm as she peered away, embarrassed, "It wasn't anything special…"

"It totally was!" Rivan assured, quickly turning toward Bazz, "Wasn't it?!"

Bazz only grinned, turning toward her with a approving glance, "I'd say Gadd is a true heroine, indeed."

"Cut it out!" Gaddison whined, covering her face with her hands as her embarrassment overwhelmed her.

Snickering, Rivan crossed his arms, proud of subduing his cohort, though Bazz's appreciative smile gleamed true before he reached out to pat Gaddison's shoulder in praise, though it earned him little in the way of her ending her recoiled stance. Before he could speak further, Dorephan's voice suddenly rang out through the throne room, forcing all the children to fall into line, arms at their sides.

"And what of the other two..?" he finally managed to speak, guiltily, lowering his hand to reveal himself in a show of courage.

Tovar raised his shoulders valiantly, though his somber voice betrayed anything he could have demonstrated as such, "Vakem has passed on. Melepha is not far behind. She clings to life, though hopefully, most of her wear, now, is from exhaustion. That, and performing arts that she had yet the ability to control- her arm has been torn up."

Dorephan nodded slowly, "And yet I find you here, Tovar, standing, of all things."

The soldier grinned, "With all due respect my liege, I'm not about to end the streak of servicemen giving their after-combat reports; I believe my son, of all people, would have scolded me greatly for such an offense."

The King sighed at his subordinate's choice of actions, though let him be, simply continuing on as if to hurry past the details to allow the man a rest, "Speaking of your after-combat report…"

"Sir!" Tovar shouted as he saluted, earning a hasty emulation from Rivan, who slowly returned to normal upon realizing Bazz and Gaddison hadn't done the same.

Link lowered his face closer toward Mipha's ear, whispering to her, "Are you sure you're okay?"

In a second, she replied with a nod, "As long as I have you here to keep me up, I-"

"Dear, _you're_ the only thing keeping _me_ standing right now," Link interrupted with a grin allowing Mipha to bury the side of her head further into him as a helpless sigh left her before her own smile.

"Yes, about that!" Dorephan suddenly spoke up louder, quickly turning toward the four children at the other side of the rotund room, eyeing them critically, "I would very much like to know what four _children_ were doing assaulting such a dangerous threat to our home, one of them being the Prince, no less! I would expect my own son to have something of a grasp on what danger is!"

His gaze lingered for but a moment before his head turned down, "Who among you is responsible?"

Gaddison shivered as she took a step forward, assuming that her action of grabbling the weapon away was what the King was referring to, ultimately, though Bazz quickly threw his arm to the side, impeding Gaddison's momentum as he stepped forward, his face still with conviction as the King watched him with low eyes.

"It was my idea, sir," Bazz answered, his lips twisting in concern as he did his best to avoid his King's glare.

Dorephan continued on with his interrogatory action for a moment before lowering his head once again, catching it with his hand as he gave a massive sigh, shaking his head, "Too many people have died as of late. That's enough in the way of punishment. Despite how stupid some actions might have been, here we are, inevitably, still able to have this conversation. For that, I cannot offer enough thanks to every one of-"

"Sire!" cried Muzu, stepping angrily into the throne room, throwing a hand in Link's direction, "These Hylians are a threat to our most basic sense of safety and-!"

Dorephan lifted his head to reveal an angered look, "Muzu! It's because of that Hylian that you're still able to argue about him!"

"I'm still not convinced that this wasn't a plot from the beginning! Are you aware your own son was coerced into falsely releasing those two other fiends?!" Muzu accused.

"From what I gather," Dorephan explained, "It was because of those two men that my only daughter, _your_ student, is standing here right now. I may have my father's temper, Muzu, but I've been through enough to understand, far better than he, that many situations call for no such thing."

Muzu advanced toward the throne, his fangs barred as he fumed, though as he passed by Tovar's side, Dorephan continued, "You would cross the path of a man whose son has just perished, seeking further bloodshed?"

The advisor halted in that moment, having been blinded by Tovar's presence since entering the throne room in a rage. His clenched fist shook as he held back whatever vitriolic retort ran through his mind, only managing to stomp a foot into the ground before admitting, "…no."

Dorephan nodded, "I do think it is a fine time for these Hylians' departure, but they owe us nothing. If anything, we all owe this Knight plenty for saving the life of the brightest among us all."

He turned toward Link with a frown, "You've done far too much for this Domain for me to send you away so callously, but-"

"I understand," Link interrupted with a decisive nod, struggling to stand upright as Mipha remained bound to his side.

With a gracious show of appreciating at his understanding, Dorephan only nodded, pointing out toward the entryway to signal everybody's dismissal.

* * *

Link sat with a propped up knee to rest his arm on, his opposing hand in unwanting territory as it laid in his lap instead of around his lover's body in a halved hug, though Mipha was quick to remind him of their charade as they sat beside one another near the great bridge, watching as Lall's wagon was prepared and filled with Dorephan's return for the King of Hyrule. Mipha did her best to sit up straight and remain with an air of austerity that often accompanied royalty, though in her weakened state, she couldn't help but slump her shoulders and keep her head hung low, her eyes merely directed up toward the action before them.

Link sighed, shifting his weight and switching legs after stretching his muscles, turning to Mipha and speaking up, "Well I won't be forgetting _this_ visit any time soon."

She grinned, though aside from that, offered little in the way of movement, "You mean the idea of near death doesn't excite you?"

"Maybe once this Calamity thing happens. _If_ it happens," Link shrugged, leaning back against the sleek railing behind him, "Goddess, I wish I could follow the Princess I truly wanted to."

Mipha quickly turned her head toward him, "Shh!"

Shrugging, Link went on, "Why can't they know? I want nothing more than to hold you as tight as a creature can embrace another."

Her eyes trailing downward, Mipha frowned, "It's just…not the right time."

Though his heart twisted at the thought, Link decided to leave it at her word, only releasing a muted sigh as he watched Lall and Jarrol put together the last of their cargo, Lall quickly rushing around either side to instruct the various Zora attempting to load the massive better bag of fish, among other things. The Hylian stressfully went along as his cousin warily avoided any and all contact with the slimy fish skins, making him quite ineffective for Lall's purposes.

"I've never had anything with another being like I've had with you," Link muttered quietly, earning an unseen blush from Mipha, "I only want to spend every night with you the same way we shared one another last night."

Mipha's eyes caught his profile, "We both have greater responsibilities."

Seriously, Link's stare turned down to meet her face, nearly piercing her view as he spoke up critically, "I would give up this sword, my rank- everything to just…run off and make you my world."

Unable to speak in reply, Mipha's face dipped low in sadness, understanding the same feelings she would also feel occasionally. She caught the sound of Sidon scampering across the platform, his feet pattering with the mild sucking of his still-dipped feet as he rushed to the wagon to hand Jarrol a gift from Dorephan, followed closely by the Big Bad Bazz Brigade, all of whom were quick to take this opportunity to thank both of the men. Mipha heard a chuckle from beside her as Link had taken to watching as well, a smile crossing his face at the sight of Rivan squaring up to recreate the past event in front of Lall, only earning a concerned nod from both Hylians.

"They'll all probably be grown by the time I return," Link spoke, "The King has Zelda traveling, literally, everywhere trying to find whatever it is they're trying to find. May be a few years, and I know you all hit that growth spurt and grow like basins in a flood."

Mipha smirked at the odd comparison, watching Bazz take quick, intermediate glances toward the two of them as he tried his best to remain ensconced in his brigade's activity. She turned back in surprise as Link worked his way up to his feet, swaying weakly before grabbing ahold of the nearby railing to steady himself, letting go only once his tight muscles had started giving way to his intentions.

"Hey, Bazz," he shouted, the boy jumping his tremendous shock at being address by a Knight, though he slowly walked toward Link with a nervous cadence, avoiding his stare.

Link only smiled at the boy's reaction, turning to meet Mipha's confused stare before speaking to Bazz once he was within earshot, "You still have your sword with you?"

"No…" Bazz grumbled, arms crossed as his eyes shifted away, "Tovar took all our stuff. Not like we weren't just heroes or anything; he _should_ have given us actual stuff to practice with for once."

Watching the boy with interest, Link couldn't help but chuckle at Bazz's brimming pride as he reached a hand over his shoulder, luring the child's attention back toward him at the sound of Link's sword sliding along its sheathe on its way into the air. Mipha's eyes went wide at the sight, horrified at what Link was about to do, though she only watched in silence as Link spun his sword in his hand, gripping its hilt upside-down to hand the Bazz.

"Go on."

Bazz went still as his eyes locked with the weapon, nearly shaking with anticipation. This sword belonged to the man whom he just witness being a hero just hours earlier, he thought, his hand having gome limp as he pleaded with it to move. Slowly enough, Bazz reached up, grasping the sword gingerly until Link was positive he had a sure grip, dropping the weight into Bazz's hand, which he clearly wasn't expecting, nearly dropping the weapon into the ground as he desperately tried to wield such a massive sword.

"Watch your fins," Link instructed easily, "There's a reason the Zora always use spears."

"Y-Y-Yeah," Bazz stuttered unconfidently, his body swaying around as he attempted to handle the massive blade, his eyes shooting wide as his body's momentum took his arms toward the Knight's legs, though Link only dropped his wrist, taking the weak blow to his gauntlet, leaving Bazz standing there, his mind whirring, as he watched in horror, despite having done nothing in the way of injury.

Link smirked, "Well, maybe when you're a bit bigger, alright? Tell you what, how about next time I show up, I bring one that might work for you."

His eyes now glimmering in the sun, Bazz's mouth dropped in awe, unable to answer until just eking out, "Y-You mean it?"

"Why not?" Link shrugged familiarly, "You want to be a great soldier, right?"

"I wanna be a hero!" Bazz quickly interjected his correction.

Link nodded, "Alright. Then it's a deal. Until then, try and keep that little troupe of yours under control; I have a feeling that may be more daunting than any Lynel."

"Y-Yes sir!" Bazz shouted still with an opened expression, almost as though saluting into some ethereal being before him.

Bazz started off, only just realizing he was still in possession of Link's blade before returning it to its proper owner, then scurrying off toward the others, whom had all begun to depart from the wagon's side as Lall hopped aboard, leaving Tovar to eye the two by the wayside. Link sighed as his time was coming to an end, his lips curling into a grin as he heard Mipha beside him.

"For somebody so enamored with the idea of running off, you sure do make a lot of promises," she teased, reaching a foot over to playfully jab at his leg.

"I guess it's not too bad," Link concluded, reaching down to take Mipha's hand before pulling her up, first, to her feet, then into his arm to allow her a supportive hold, the two slowly making their way toward the bridge, "I do often wonder how my life might have turned out had you not suggested I take hold of this sword."

He waved at Lall to signal him to go along, leaving the two secretive lovers time to chat as they caught up slowly, allowing Mipha a quiet reply, "You wouldn't be that boy's hero, for one."

Link's eyes rolled playfully, turning down toward her with a droll expression, "You'd still have fallen for me, right?"

Mipha's brow curled mischievously as she held her tongue, leaving Link to chuckle, "Going to play hard to get, huh?"

"Only for the moment," Mipha smiled, "I like seeing you flustered. I like seeing any part of you that isn't that stoic look on your face. It just reminds me how much of yourself you allow me to see."

Link asked flatly, "And if we keep on like this, as Champions, are you prepared to see me injured?"

"I pretty much just saw that," Mipha confirmed with a teasing voice.

"Are you prepared to see me die?"

Her face gradually fell as the two began the trek across the massive bridge, following in the thunderous rolling of the wagon ahead of them. As familiar as the floor beneath her had been her entire life, Mipha suddenly felt chilled by the platform beneath her, almost feeling within her the same vastness that separated her home from the waters below.

"If whatever happens…truly happens," Link muttered, quietly, unable to finish his thought as he merely let the grinding of wheels overtake his voice.

Mipha turned to look over her shoulder, back toward the Domain, her eyes trailing down its various inclines, hunting for any Zora eyes that might be turned toward them. Her hand gently reached up to grab ahold of Link's, tightening its grip as she pulled him into her side as they walked.

"You're frightened," she spoke in a whisper.

He replied, "I'm frightened of losing you."

As her feet slowed to a stop, Link did as she had done, turning back toward her so that Zora's Domain sat just over her shoulder. Their hands still entwined, Mipha lowered her head as she hid her smile, already having come to terms with such things. She'd been at peace with her role in Zelda's plan, whether or not it should come to pass, simply because she had a people- she had a home to protect. She had reasons, a multitude of such, to find peace in dying in whatever might ensure during this Calamity. But she knew, all too well after the night before; Link had nothing but her. She was his home. his shelter. The only place where he could truly open up and be himself.

She pulled his hand toward her palm-side up, lifting her opposite hand before gently running her thumb across the softest portion at its center, speaking delicately while feeling his warmth creeping through her own hand, "I did make that armor as a keepsake, you know? I made it because you're the one I love, and the one I must protect- not from the mundane, but from that which could be a threat. because I know that nothing will stop you. You'll be so focused on what's ahead of you, you won't bother to think of yourself. And no matter what harm might come to you, I'll be there, at every scale, to protect you."

Mipha's head turned up toward Link to reveal a tearful smile, her face tilted to the side slightly as she peered into his eyes, "That's why I suggested you take the Master Sword. I know there's greatness within you. and ever since I first laid eyes on that spirited child, I knew it would be my greatest duty, not to protect this world, but to protect the one tasked to do so."

She grinned amusedly, "Then you grew up, grew taller than me… I realized that, not only did I want to aid you in your journey, I wanted to help with whatever demons might reside within you. Help with your loneliness."

Link watched her carefully with a concerned turn of his brow as her hand left his, reaching into a satchel at her side before returning to drop a sickeningly dark half-scale into his palm, allowing him a glance before covering it herself, sandwiching her broken scale between the two of them.

"I'll be here when you return," she smiled, "I'll have your armor completed. Then I won't have to worry anymore about your health."

Link cocked a smile as she giggled slightly, sliding her hand from his and taking the scale with her, "You know, this is the only scale of mine you've actually torn yourself. I'll have to integrate it somehow."

"Alright," Link agreed with a slight nod, turning his head to check the progression of his wagon out of here, "Well, that's about-"

"Is anybody watching?"

Link grinned, returning to examine her home for any signs of being watched, finding nothing, leaving Mipha to continue, rather embarrassingly, "You know, this bridge is called Luto's Crossing, named for the sage, Luto, who was said to have crossed between us Zora and a Hylian millennia ago. So this bridge sort of symbolizes our crossing between our home and the world beyond."

"Are you saying you want to cross beyond to a Hylian yourself?" Link mused, teasingly.

Mipha's face went red as her eyes jutted to the side, leaving Link to smile as he turned his head down toward Mipha's as his shoulders slid down, taking her into a gentle kiss as they stood there, closing their eyes, losing themselves in one another as they left any chance of their discovery to fate itself. Mipha's toes curled as her lips burned, reminding her of her wound hours ago before her mind quickly replaced her thought with their night before, her skin shivering at the memory of being consumed by nothing but her lover's body heat.

Her eyes opened slightly, shooting open as she realized Link had already pulled away and straightened out, finding a teasing smirk on his face at the sight of her having been so lost in the moment. She quickly threw a playful punch into Link's arm as he humored her with a recoil, though he continued to pull away, stepping backward away from her without breaking their eye contact.

"Be safe," she concluded with a gentle tone.

Link paused, his voice just barely passing by her ears from this distance as he spoke simply, "I love you."

Mipha smiled, "More than the waters of this world, I love you."

With that, Link turned forward, breaking into a light jog as he made his way to the rolling wagon that had turned down the path upon the mainland, leaving Mipha there, alone, with their damaged scale wrapped tightly in her hand. Perhaps she would add it to his chest piece, next to his heart. Maybe at his side, where it had come from her. Perhaps she would just wait until he returned.

She knew she'd have to ask once she saw him wearing her armor with her own eyes.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, that's the end! I hope you all enjoyed it, and it's been fantastic reading everybody's notes or comments on this :D Just a quick explanatory note- "L" and "R" and pretty interchangeable in Japanese, so for whatever reason, when translating BotW, Nintendo translated what should have been "Ruto's Crossing" to "Luto's Crossing"- which is silly, since they'd decided on the name back in 1998 :/ I'm sure somebody just wasn't thinking about it, but it makes perfect sense that, after so many thousands of years since OoT, the Zora might very well have mistranslated the name itself, which I think is a fantastic addition to the idea I originally had with these two Zelda stories- making the world of Hyrule far less perfect that it's usually portrayed, giving it a more realistic feel._**

 ** _In any case, that's my excuse: blame Nintendo! :p After a short break from writing, I have quite a lot of readers still patiently waiting for 'Deadlocked', surprisingly, so I'll be returning to my Overwatch tales before maybe doing my Warcraft story with Kyra's parents. I also have a Sonic the Hedgehog story rolling around in my head, shockingly enough, since I don't actually play the games :p_**

 ** _In any case, I hope you guys stick around, maybe try some of my other stories, or just wait for another Zelda story that I'm sure to come up with at some point :D Thank you for the views and the reviews- I can't explain just how of the world they mean to me :) and thank you for supporting my work in general. See you on the other side!_**


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